Please find attached soundbite in Afrikaans by Cornél Dreyer.
Please find attached soundbite in English by Cornél Dreyer.
- DA raises concerns over the municipality’s compliance with planning legislation and by-law procedures.
- Failure to review the Spatial Development Framework may undermine lawful planning processes.
- DA calls for greater transparency before further land use and licensing engagements proceed.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Mayor and Municipal Manager of the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality (RMLM) raising concerns about the municipality’s compliance with key planning legislation following its invitation to property owners and landlords to attend a stakeholder engagement on 9 July 2026 (see letter attached).
While the DA welcomes efforts to engage stakeholders and strengthen lawful business operations, these processes must be underpinned by full compliance with the legislative framework governing municipal planning and land use.
The DA has raised concerns that the municipality has not complied with Section 20 of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA), which requires municipalities to review their Spatial Development Framework (SDF) at least every five years. A failure to review and adopt an updated SDF may expose the municipality to legal risk, weaken planning certainty, and undermine transparent decision-making.
The Auditor-General’s 2023/24 audit report also highlighted shortcomings relating to municipal planning documentation, reinforcing the need for the municipality to address these matters as a priority.
The DA has further requested clarity regarding several municipal by-laws referenced in the invitation to stakeholders, including the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management By-law (2017) and the Accommodation Establishments By-law (2015). The municipality has been asked to confirm whether these by-laws have been properly promulgated in the Provincial Gazette and to ensure they are readily accessible to the public.
Legal certainty and procedural fairness are fundamental to sound local governance. Property owners and businesses must have confidence that municipal planning and land use processes are conducted in accordance with the law and are supported by properly adopted and publicly accessible policies and by-laws.
The DA has therefore requested that the municipality:
- Confirm the Provincial Gazette references for all applicable by-laws.
- Publish all adopted by-laws on the municipal website to improve public access and transparency.
- Ensure that all rezoning, licensing, and land use processes fully comply with SPLUMA and the Municipal Systems Act.
- Consider postponing stakeholder engagements until any outstanding legislative compliance issues have been addressed.
The DA believes municipalities must lead by example by complying with the same legal requirements they expect residents and businesses to follow. Transparent, lawful, and accountable governance is essential to creating certainty for investors, protecting property rights, and building public confidence in municipal decision-making.
The DA will continue to monitor this matter and hold the municipality accountable for complying with its statutory obligations and ensuring that all planning processes are conducted fairly, transparently, and within the framework of the law.