JOBURG LOSING ROODEPOORT WILL HARM LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Johannesburg may lose Roodepoort and possibly other areas on its western border to the envisaged West Rand Metro. This could be one of a number of changes to the borders of municipalities in Gauteng during the current demarcation process.
The MEC for Local Government and Housing, Humphrey Mmemezi, has indicated that Gauteng will consist of "wall to wall" metropolitan municipalities by 2025/26, with a possibility that the first new metro may be established by 2016. Gauteng would therefore have five metros by this date and no more local and district municipalities. The two new metros will be in the West Rand and the Sedibeng (excluding Lesedi) area.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that converting all local and district municipalities into metro's will be detrimental to local government in the province, as local municipalities are viable entities if they are managed correctly. Midvaal municipality in Gauteng is proof of this as was Nokeng tsa Taemane (Cullinan) when it was under DA control.
The possible future changes in Gauteng municipalities are as follows.
- Inclusion of Roodepoort and other western suburbs into the new West Rand metro. It will also include Mogale (Krugersdorp), Randfontein and Westonaria.
- Inclusion of Lesedi (Heidelberg) into Ekurhuleni.
- Establishment of a Metro in Sedibeng including Emfuleni (Vereeniging and Vanderbijl Park) and Midvaal (Meyerton).
The DA calls on all residents to ensure that they participate in the public processes for the demarcation of municipal boundaries of municipalities in Gauteng. The first opportunity to submit proposals to the Municipal Demarcation Board is by 15 December 2011.
Statement issued by Fred Nel, DA member of Gauteng legislature, November 24 2011
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