Khutsong 'to be part of Gauteng'

2008-10-07 16:21

Johannesburg - The ANC is in a "legislative process" to reincorporate Merafong municipality, currently in North West province, into Gauteng, Premier Paul Mashatile said on Tuesday.

"The ANC is busy with the matter currently to ensure that Merafong is incorporated back into Gauteng," he told reporters shortly after his first address as premier to the provincial legislature.

The Khutsong community in Merafong has staged sometimes violent and often disruptive protests since the area was officially incorporated into the North West after 2006 local government elections.

The community even appealed to the Constitutional Court to be reincorporated into Gauteng, which is perceived to be better at service delivery than North West.

The Constitutional Court, however, refused their bid in a judgment handed down in June.

Legislative process

Mashatile was speaking about people protesting against service delivery, when a reporter asked whether he would visit Merafong as part of a "road trip" to communities next week.

"There is no rush for us to go to Merafong at the moment, there are processes that are unfolding," replied Mashatile.

"You will recall that Merafong is still under North West. The ANC is busy with the matter currently to ensure that Merafong is incorporated back into Gauteng but there is a legislative process taking place and... the MEC for local government will deal with those issues in due course.

"I think we should await that process to be completed before we go there. I think, at the moment we should respect the fact that it's not in our province, we shouldn't interfere with what North West is doing.

"Only when the legislative process is completed, then, of course, we will visit Merafong," said Mashatile.

- SAPA