I was pleased to hear the news recently that the Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceha stated that The Municipal Systems Amendment Bill 2010 that was approved by the cabinet last week would combat corruption in local government. He also stated that he would discuss the possible extension of the ban on part-time work to the entire public service with Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi.
The only problem I have with the bill is that it needs to include all the 200 + councillors in the city council. They should not be permitted to have jobs and businesses outside of their council work and it should also state that individuals contesting an election for ward councilor should be required by law to live in the ward they are contesting, if that person is so interested in that ward that they want to represent it in the council, then that ward should be good enough for them to live in. Obviously this won’t apply to PR councilors who are deployed to any ward at the digression of their party.
I urge Minister Sicelo Shiceha to move on this at the earliest opportunity so as to have it in place before the 2011 Municipal elections
