MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Can Will Monitor, Apply Pressure When Coalition Bill Reaches Parliament

Can Will Monitor, Apply Pressure When Coalition Bill Reaches Parliament

This bill is supposed to improve conflict resolution, but CAN has concerns about political overreach

The Community Action Network, an initiative of OUTA, will monitor the passage of the so-called Coalition Bill when it goes through parliament, as this bill could fundamentally impact local government.

According to CAN Project Manager Jonathan Erasmus, the revised deadline for public comment on the bill, formally known as the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, was on 31 August.

CAN provided a comprehensive submission to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on the bill and invited other civil society organisations and the public to adopt this submission as their own.

“We are happy to announce that our report was adopted by 74 other submitters. We made our submission available to the public in order to entrench participatory democracy,” said Erasmus.

Erasmus said that while the bill aims to stabilise coalition governments in municipalities, many of the proposed amendments could undermine the autonomy of municipalities, councillors, and ultimately the voters.

“We must stay vigilant to safeguard our democracy. It’s essential that the will of the people, not just the decisions of a minister, determines how local governments operate. Municipalities are accountable to the citizens who elected them, and we must ensure this principle is upheld,” said Erasmus.

The bill claims the proposed changes will enhance clarity, transparency, stability, accountability, and conflict resolution in governance.

However, CAN has identified several major concerns with the amendments, including:

  • Political overreach into local government affairs from both national and provincial ministerial levels.
  • Excessive restrictions on the right to bring forward motions of no confidence against office bearers such as the mayor, deputy mayor, or speaker.
  • The removal of the secret ballot option as a voting mechanism.

The bill is still with the department and is expected to be introduced in parliament by the minister.

Erasmus said, in collaboration with OUTA’s parliamentary office, the bill will be monitored and where opportunities arise, CAN will continue to provide input and civic oversight.

“Municipalities are, for many people, the only place where they directly communicate with government. While we agree that municipalities must be stable, accountable and transparent, we equally believe that municipalities must be areas where democracy can be expressed,” said Erasmus.

The CAN submission is grounded in the principle of respecting the separation of powers and ensuring the Constitution is upheld at all times.

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. A buddy in Cape Town saw some dude cat calling a coloured woman with that kst kst kst sound, so she turns around and says \”What? You got a puncture in your face or something??\”

  2. Bitter koud — very cold. An Afrikaans phrase meaning ‘bitter cold’, often used to describe the cold weather during winter.Example: “Oh, my gosh! It’s bitter koud outside!”