TO:

All Municipal Managers All MECs responsible for Local Government Minister of Provincial and Local Government Minister of Finance Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee on Provincial and Local Government Select Committee on Local Government and Administration All magistrates Houses of Traditional Leaders National Treasury Statistics South Africa Independent Electoral Commission SALGA Members of the MDB Boundary/Powers and Functions Committee Members of the Local Elections Technical Committee Other stake holders

CIRCULAR 4/2008: REDETERMINATION OF MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES, AND THE WITHDRAWAL OF DECLARATION OF DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AREAS

As indicated in previous circulars, the Board is processing the last batch of changes to municipal boundaries, so as to provide the IEC by August 2008 with the final boundaries of all municipalities for the alignment of voting districts for the 2009 elections.

At its last meeting the Board finalised the cases before it as per the Annexure.

Apart from finalising the technical corrections to municipal boundaries provided to you in Circular 3/2008, no further changes to municipal boundaries will be considered until after the 2011 local elections.

As soon as voting district boundaries have been aligned to municipal boundaries, the registration of voters has been completed, the certified national common voters’ roll has been divided into municipal segments, the formula for the number of councillors has been gazetted by the Minister of Provincial and Local Government, the number of councillors has been gazetted by the MECs responsible for local government, the Board will commence with the ward delimitation process in 2009 for the 2011 local elections.

The broad timeframes remain as follows:

Phases	Time Frame	Process
Phase 1	Dec 2007 – Aug 2008	Finalise outer boundaries of municipalities –MDB/IEC/MECs
	Aug – Sept 2008	Align VD boundaries to municipal boundaries – IEC/MDB
	Feb 2008-Aug 2008	Re-categorization of selected secondary cities and review and some category C municipalities- MDB
	Sept 2008 – March 2009	Voter registration, certification & division of the national common voters’ roll into municipal segments - IEC
	March 2009	Publish formula for the number of councillors - Minister.
	March 2009	Publish number of councillors - MECs.
Phase 2	Apr 2009 – Feb 2010	Public consultation process including public hearings, where necessary – MDB
Phase 3	March – Aug 2010	Gazette ward boundaries in Provincial Gazettes for objections, finalise ward boundaries and hand over to the IEC for the 2011 electoral process – MDB
Phase 4	Aug 2010 – March 2011	Electoral process – IEC

Please do NOT submit any request for changes to ward boundaries to the Board. The Board will approach you during the period April 2009 to August 2010.

The Board is looking forward to strengthen and enhance its cooperation with all stakeholders during the ward delimitation process and in the years to come.

Yours sincerely

VUYO MLOKOTI

CHAIRPERSON: MUNICIPAL DEMARCATION BOARD

20 May 2008

ANNEXURE

KWAZULU-NATAL

DEM NO	DESCRIPTION		RESOLUTION/COMMENTS:
DEM131	Proposed re-determination of the municipal boundaries of Hlabisa and Mtubatuba by excluding the Mpukunyoni/ Mkhwanazi Traditional Authority area from the municipal area of Hlabisa, and by including the area into the municipal area of Mtubatuba.		The Board: confirmed the re-determination; approved that a section 21(5) notice be gazetted.
DEM339	Proposed that the area of Ingwavuma Community be removed from Jozini Municipality and be demarcated as a new municipality		The Board: Considered all submissions tabled; resolved not to re-determine the municipal boundaries; confirmed that it is in general against the re-determination of municipal boundaries to address service delivery problems, and that service delivery problems should in the first instance be addressed by the municipality, and secondly by provincial interventions; suggested that the service delivery problems in Ingwavuma be addressed through other means such as capacity building, the strengthening of intergovernmental relations, the re-inforcement of the satellite office in Ingwavuma, and better community participation in matters affecting them; confirmed its recommendations to MECs in the National Capacity Report of 2007/08 that additional capacity building initiatives be investigated; accepted the view of Jozini Municipality that it might be premature to split the municipality into two municipalities as the existing municipality is already and to a great extent dependent on government grants; took the position that the creation of a new municipality will no doubt require more scarce resources from national and provincial government to establish and maintain additional local government structures.
DEM363	Proposed re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding Express, Eden, Greenford, Shanty, Ennesdale, Dalton, Furnhurst, Bursea, Clipson, River Prospect, Mercury, Eversly No 2, Field Head, kirkby No 2,The Fern, Yorkville, Beverley, Briarmains, Lammermoor No 2, Lammernoor, Rockmount and Lot 7 from Umtshezi Municipality (KZN234) and including them into Imbabazane Municipality (KZN236).		The Board: confirmed the re-determination; approved that a section 21(5) notice be gazetted.
DEM364	Proposed re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding Ellersie, Solferino, Vaal Bank, uitzitz, Kerk Plaats, Mouth Elizaber, portion of Snelster and portion of Klip Fountain from Okhahlamba Municipality (KZN235) and including them into Imbabazane Municipality (KZN236).		The Board: resolved to withdraw the re-determination; approved that a section 21(5) notice be gazetted.
DEM366	Proposed re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding the farms Scotston, Scottston 1, Rereoch, Retief and Addison and a portion  of Doorn Hoek from Okhahlamba Local Municipality (KZN235) and including it into Emnambithi-Ladysmith Local Municipality (KZN232)		The Board: resolved to withdraw its re-determination; approved that a section 21(5) notice be gazetted.
DEM372	Proposed that ward 2 be excluded from Ndwendwe KZ293 and included into KwaDukuza KZN292.		The Board: confirmed the re-determination; approved that a section 21(5) notice be gazetted.
DEM377	Proposed re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding certain farms from Ingwe Local Municipality and Kwa Sani Local Municipality and including them into Impendle		Recommended that the Board: notes that a section 21 notice was gazetted as Notice No 5 in Provincial Gazette No 48 on 2 April 2008; confirms the boundary re-determination as per Notice No. 5; approves the publication of a section 21(5) notice.
DEM386	Proposed determination that the area of Msunduzi Local Municipality (KZN225) must have a category A municipality		The Board: · resolved to re-determine the boundaries by excluding Msunduzi from the municipal area of Umgungundlovu District Municipality (DC22); · determined the current boundaries of Msunduzi as a category A municipal area; Approved the publication of a section 21 notice; approves that 30 days be allowed for objections; expressed its appreciation for the number of submissions received following the publication of the section 26 notice, and the generally overwhelming support for the Board’s intention to consider the matter.
KZNDMA22		· Boundary re-determination confirmed. A section 21(5) notice will be gazetted during May 2008.
KZNDMA23		· Boundary re-determination confirmed. A section 21(5) notice will be gazetted during May 2008.
KZNDMA27		· Boundary re-determination confirmed. A section 21(5) notice will be gazetted during May 2008.
KZNDMA43		The Board: confirmed the re-determination as per Notice no 9 of 4 April 2008; approved the publication of a section 21(5) notice.

EASTERN CAPE

DEM NO.	DESCRIPTION			RESOLUTION/COMMENTS
DEM141		Re-determination of the municipal boundaries of Amahlathi Local Municipality (EC124) and Buffalo City Local Municipality (EC125), by excluding the area of Tyutyu Village from Amahlathi Local Municipality (EC124) and including it into Buffalo City Local Municipality (EC125).		· The MEC’s Section 23 notice is still outstanding. · The matter has been addressed in a letter from the MDB Chair to the MEC. · If the MEC’s notice is not published by end July 2008, this re-determination will not be included in the final municipal boundary maps to be handed to the IEC in August for the elections. · The section 23 notice will then have to stand over till after the local elections in 2011.
DEM175			· Re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding Caba AA and Keti AA from Intsika Yethu and Chris Hani and including them into Mbhashe and Amatole. · Re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding Xonge, Cwecweni, Mqonci, Ngqutura and Nxamangele from Intsika Yethu and including them into Engcobo	The Board: confirmed the boundary re-determination as gazetted under section 21; approved the publication of a section 21(5) notice.
DEM287			Proposed re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding Upper Cala A/A from Emalahleni, and by including it into Sakhisizwe.	The Board: confirmed the boundary re-determination as gazetted under section 21; approved the publication of a section 21(5) notice.
DEM292			Proposed re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding Madokisini Location from Mnquma and by including it into Mbhashe	The Board: noted the overlap with DEM349; approved that the section 21 and section 21(5) notices with respect to DEM292 be withdrawn, and that the IEC be informed accordingly.
DEM313			Proposed re-determination of municipal boundaries by excluding the farms Bedrog Fontein No. 23, Haarhoffs Kraal No.180, Elands Horn Outspan No.182, Maidens Hope No.183, Wilge Rivier No.184, Elands Hoorn No.185, Grassridge No.187, Gringley No.188, Centlivres No.231, 232/1 No.232, Prentice Kraal No.233, Bauwerskraal No.234, Paarde Kop No.235, Farm 236 No.236, 232/1 No 674, 232/1 No 674 from Nelson Mandela Bay, and by including them into Sundays River Valley and Cacadu.	The Board: resolved to withdraw the re-determination as per Notice No. 78.
DEM345			It is proposed that Myeni and Upper Mnqesha localities be excluded from Amahlathi Municipality and be included into Buffalo City Municipality.