18 MAY 2011 IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS DAY

The local government elections will take place on May 18, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe(photo) announced last week.

Addressing the National Council of Provinces, Motlanthe, who is acting president while President Jacob Zuma is abroad, said the term of municipal councils would end soon.

In terms of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, “the term of municipal councils is five years, calculated from the day following the date set for the previous election of all municipal councils”.

“After consultation with the [Independent] Electoral Commission (IEC), government has set the date for the local government elections as 18 May 2011,” he said.

The date would be formally proclaimed by publishing a notice in the Government Gazette within the next week.