Owing to the Private Member's Bill and the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill seeking to address the same issues, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Portfolio Committee chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize advised that the Bills be integrated into a single Bill.

Mkhize expressed concerns that otherwise this may lead to duplication, delays and possibly public confusion during public hearings.

“Presenting two similar Bills separately for public comment within a short space of time would be procedurally inefficient and impractical; the public and Parliament would be forced to consider overlapping Bills twice. We must avoid that,” he said.

The Private Member's Bill was introduced by member of the National Assembly George Michalakis, who highlighted that following the 2026 Local Government Elections, coalition governments will be the “new norm”.

He explained that this would mean political parties and independent candidates would have to come together and form “workable coalitions” for the good of South Africa, noting that currently many local government coalitions are “highly unstable and plagued by frequent motions of no confidence, impacting their capacity to ensure stable, consistent and quality service delivery to residents”.

“…these motions of no confidence are often used by smaller parties, in cooperation with opposition benches, as a political tool, rather than a way to hold government accountable for failing to fulfil their duties adequately. This will continue in the absence of much-needed legislation to ensure stable coalitions,” he explained.

Mkhize acknowledged the need to process and finalise the legislation speedily ahead of the local government elections next year, noting that the committee resolved that Michalakis must engage with Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to find ways to integrate the proposals into a single Bill.

The committee stated that this must be done within one month, after which the Minister must brief the committee.

“During this briefing, the Minister must provide an update on the status of the department’s Bill and its readiness for introduction to Parliament, the department’s proposals on integrating the private member’s proposals, and provide the committee with a timeline for the expeditious tabling and processing of the Bill to ensure that the legislation is in place ahead of the 2026 local government elections,” said Mkhize.

He explained that following this, the committee would deliberate and decide on the best course of action, including consideration of the motion of desirability on the Private Member’s Bill.

The committee stressed that the process must be without unnecessary procedural delays.

Mkhize pointed out that the process must also be done in a manner that respects both parliamentary procedure and the public interest.