King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality executive mayor, Nyaniso Nelani, has indicated that the municipality plans to appeal the Municipal Demarcation Board (MBD) rejection of their application to be categorised as a Category A municipality (Metropolitan Municipality).
This is despite the MBD saying in Circular 1 of 2024 on outcomes of the municipal boundary change process that all matters indicated as “not proceeding” to section 21 publications, as was the case in the KSD application to be categorised as a Metropolitan Municipality, were considered closed.
The MBD, in its rejection of the KSD municipality application, said that the proposal by the municipality did not meet demarcation criteria, and the proposed area did not meet criteria for categorisation of a Category A municipality as provided for in terms of Section 2 of the Municipal Structures Act.
In its failed application to MBD, KSD Municipality proposed excluding Xhorha/Elliotdale town from the municipal area of Mbhashe Local Municipality and Amathole District Municipality, and amalgamating it with the proposed Metropolitan Municipality.
It further proposed excluding Wards 2, 4 and 5 from the municipal area of Mhlontlo Local Municipality and OR Tambo District Municipality, excluding Wards 10, 11, 12 and 13 from the municipal area of Nyandeni Local Municipality and OR Tambo District Municipality, and amalgamating them with the municipal areas of King Sabata Local Municipality) and OR Tambo District Municipality, to establish a new Category A, Metropolitan Municipality, in the Eastern Cape.
Nelani said that a council meeting, held on January 30, had resolved that the municipality should appeal the decision by the MDB.
“We are appealing the decision of the MBD because we are convinced that we really qualify to be categorised as a Metropolitan Municipality in a few aspects, which we think matter most,” said Nelani.
“The first aspect is the fact that, if you are looking at the concentration of population in KSD, it is higher than that of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.”
He further said that they had concrete plans to fast-track economic development in KSD, and they felt that the MBD had ignored those aspects in its rejection of their application.
“In light of these, the council resolved that we should appeal the decision and use the platform as a springboard to garner support from everyone to make KSD Local Municipality a Metropolitan Municipality a reality,” Nelani said.
He said the municipality will also host a debriefing workshop where they will also invite the presidency to help with fast-tracking development of Mthatha and King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality as a whole.
Nelani said that their application to be categorised as a Metropolitan Municipality, despite being unsuccessful, had brought a lot of gains to the municipality.
“We are a secondary city now and that came as we pushed to be a Metropolitan Municipality. We are also working on getting developer status in human settlements development and the KSD municipality, as an institution which is turning around and purposeful,” Nelani concluded.
