Minister must clear the air on West Rand merger

“As it stands, there is no proposal on the table for the creation of a Metro in the West Rand,” the DA said in a statement.

According to Alan Fuchs MPL, DA Gauteng Constituency Head – Mogale City, “National Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Pravin Gordhan’s indecisiveness the proposed intention to merge four West Rand municipalities into a metro, is causing much confusion and uncertainty for residents and business alike.

“On 13 January 2015 the minister proposed the amalgamation of the Randfontein, Merafong, Westonaria and Mogale City municipalities to the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB).

“The DA has subsequently come out strongly against the proposal because the West Rand fails to meet the criteria for a metro, as stipulated in the Demarcation Act, namely high densities, large economic nodes, a developed economy and a high volume of movement of goods and people.

“In the latest MDB bulletin released in April, it is indicated that the Minister’s initial January proposal had been withdrawn. There is no proposal on the table for the creation of a Metro in the Wes Rand.

“However, the same MDB bulletin indicates that public participation meetings will be held in early May 2015 to discuss ward boundaries in Mogale City, Merafong and a new council arising from the merger of the Randfontein and Westonaria councils.

“No mention is made of the consideration of the external boundaries of a Metro, thus shrouding the proposal of a West Rand Metropolitan Municipality in uncertainty.

“Is it the intention of the Minister to scrap the Metro or not?

“To this end, our colleagues in the National Assembly will submit written questions to Minister Gordhan asking the minister to clarify, giving West Rand residents a clearer picture of what to expect in the run-up to the 2016 local government elections.”