A Bill aimed at prohibiting political office bearers from being appointed to top municipal jobs will soon be put before Parliament. The Co-operative Governance Department is working on an amendment to the Municipal Systems Act in an effort to ensure that only skilled people, who are not politicians, are employed in senior municipal positions.

The department's audit of all municipalities last year revealed that some municipalities have been employing people without relevant qualifications. Co-operative Governance deputy Minister Yunis Carrim says the amendments are meant to facilitate the minister providing regulations for minimum standards for the performance of municipal managers.

Carrim says these would include minimum criteria for qualification before a municipal manager may be appointed. Standards of performance and other proposals include ensuring that when a municipal manager is appointed, the appointment is referred to the MEC and the minister. According to the amendment, in the event a municipal manager is dismissed, the MEC and the minister will have to be informed. 

Bongani Qwabe from the Institute for Democracy in South Africa’s Capacity Development for Local Governance has commended the amendment as a good move. Qwabe strongly believes the amendment makes a need for the national government to seriously consider that local government employs people with necessary and adequate skills to perform various functions at municipal level.

Qwabe says he thinks that once certain issues are addressed, others like corruption will automatically be resolved.