Johannesburg – The Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) will consider new municipal boundary proposals for redetermination only after the 2016 municipal elections, the board said on Wednesday.

MDB chair Landiwe Mahlangu said the board was holding discussions about reducing the number of municipalities to ensure their efficiency, viability, and sustainability.

Last month, the board released its final decisions on municipalities that were up for consideration.

“This effort is not only taking place in the Eastern Cape province but includes… Mpumalanga and Northern Cape where the MDB has recently interacted with the local SA Local Government Association [Salga] structures on similar challenges,” said Mahlangu.

“In as much as discussions are taking place, the only changes that are going to be effected are those on which the board has taken a decision that was communicated last month.”

The MDB was also waiting for Co-operative Governance Minister Lechesa Tsenoli and MECs in the affected municipalities to determine formulae and legislative changes that would affect the municipalities involved.

Mahlangu encouraged stakeholders to contribute to the development of municipalities.

He was currently on a road show aimed at briefing provincial Salga structures on the final decisions taken by the board and the implications these would have.

The board had given information to the Independent Electoral Commission for it to comment on the impact of its decision and would soon be embarking on a ward delimitation process, part of which would be to ensure the smooth transition of the affected municipalities.

– SAPA