South Africa's coalition bill will not be approved before November 4 elections — TimesLIVE

In South Africa, a bill aimed at regulating coalitions in municipalities where no party has a majority is unlikely to be approved before the local elections on November 4. This was reported by TimesLIVE, citing Legadima Leso, communications director at the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

According to him, the Municipal Structures Amendment Bill is before parliament, has undergone public consultation, and has received certification from the Office of the Chief State Law Adviser. Leso said consideration of the document would continue after November 4.

Mandatory coalition agreements

The bill provides for coalition agreements to be mandatory and legally binding in municipalities where no party holds a majority of seats. Such agreements are proposed to be submitted to the municipal manager, sent to members of provincial executive councils responsible for local government, and published in the official provincial gazette.

At the same time, the document does not explicitly define what should happen if parties fail to conclude a coalition agreement but elect officials and begin governing a municipality. The department is also working on guidelines for stable coalitions in local government.

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Restrictions on motions of no confidence

Among the proposals is to limit the submission of motions of no confidence against municipal officials to once every 12 months. Exceptions may be possible in cases of a violation of the constitution, a relevant criminal conviction, financial misconduct under the Municipal Finance Management Act, a serious breach of the code of conduct, or an inability to perform official duties.

The proposed provisions also require that the official be notified and given an opportunity to respond to the allegations. The explanatory memorandum states that these measures are intended to promote stability and continuity of governance and reduce the number of unfounded motions of no confidence.

In addition, the bill proposes extending the period for holding the first meeting of a newly elected council from 14 to 30 days. The same period is proposed for appointing representatives to district councils, determining members of executive committees, and electing executive mayors. The final content of the document will depend on parliamentary consideration and the version ultimately signed into law.