Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
13 July 1998
The Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, 1998 (Act No. 27 of 1998) was promulgated on Friday 3 July 1998.
This Act provides for the establishment of an independent authority as required by section 155(3) of the Constitution that will determine municipal boundaries according to criteria and procedures as set out in the Act. It therefore presents an important and fundamental milestone in the transformation of local government, as the Board will determine functional municipal boundaries in a wholly independent manner. The Board will address remaining apartheid municipal boundaries and seek to align municipal boundaries with other government administratively viable municipalities. This Act is also the first piece of legislation that provides for the implementation of the White Paper on Local Government.
As from Tuesday, 14 July until Sunday 19 July applications for members of the Municipal Demarcation Board will be invited by means of an advertisement in major national and regional newspapers.
Members of the Municipal Demarcation Board will be appointed by the President. The Board must consist of no fewer than 7 and no more than 15 members, and be broadly representative of South African society, reflect regional diversity and collectively represent a pool of knowledge concerning issues relevant to municipal demarcation in each of the provinces.
Members of the Board must be South African citizens and have a qualification or experience in or knowledge appropriate to -
(a) local government generally; or
(b) any of the following:
(i) development economies
(ii) integrated development planning
(iii) community development
(iv) traditional leadership and traditional communities
(v) local government and municipal administration
(vi) municipal finance
(vii) municipal services
(viii) social or economic geography
(xi) town and regional planning
(x) legal and constitutional matters affecting local government
(xi) land survey, cartography and geographic information systems
(xii) public health care; or
(xiii) transport planning.
Full-time and part-time membership of the Board will be negotiable. Conditions of appointment will be commensurate with the degree of professional expertise required for the Board, and comparable with the independent commissions established in terms of the Constitution.
Written applications, accompanied by a comprehensive curriculum vitae must be submitted by 14 August to:
The Director-General Attention: Mr RG Willemse Department of Constitutional Development Private Bag X804 PRETORIA 0001
Tel: (012) 334-0778 Fax: (012) 334-0608