What has changed in local government?
Municipal Elections 2000 marked the final stage in the democratic transformation of South Africa. After the first fully democratic national and provincial elections of 27 April 1994, the transitional local government elections were held in 1995/96. After that new policies and legislation were developed and the Municipal Demarcation Board set up. The municipal elections were held on 5 December 2000 to complete the democratic transformation of local government in South Africa.

Who was involved in the changes in local government?
Institutions involved in the democratic transformation of local government in South Africa included the Department of Provincial and Local Government, the nine provincial governments, the Municipal Demarcation Board, the Department of Home Affairs and the Independent Electoral Commission, which was responsible for registering voters and conducting the municipal elections.

What laws have changed local government?
The 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa laid the foundation for the democratic transformation of local government and Parliament passed legislation to prepare for the changes in local government. The relevant legislation includes the Electoral Commission Act, 51 of 1996, the Electoral Act, 73 of 1998, the Municipal Demarcation Act, 27 of 1998, the Municipal Structures Act, 117 of 1998, and the Municipal Electoral Act, 27 of 2000.

Why did local government change?
The democratic transformation of local government began with the Local Government Transition Act (LGTA) of 1993. Local forums established temporary councils to govern until the local government elections were held in 1995/6. After these elections, a new local government system was designed and the necessary legislation was passed; this system came into effect with the municipal elections of 5 December 2000. The transformation of local government involved the redrawing of municipal boundaries, the determination of the number of wards and councillors in each municipality, the establishment of new types of municipal councils and the redrafting of electoral laws.

How were municipal boundaries redrawn?
The process of drawing new municipal boundaries involved the Municipal Demarcation Board suggesting changes, the public providing input, the publishing of the Board's decision in the Government Gazette, the hearing of objections and the publication of the final decision in the Government Gazette.

What are wards?
New wards were established within the boundaries of the municipalities each ward being made up of the voting districts determined by the IEC. The Minister of Provincial and Local Government prepared a formula to determine the number of councillors in each ward.

What was the voting system for the municipal elections?
The voting system for the municipal elections involved both proportional representation (PR) and the first-past-the-post (Westminster) system.

How many votes did a voter have for a metropolitan council?
Two votes -- one for the ward and one for the PR party list.

For a local council?
Three votes for a local council with wards.

And for a district council?
Two PR votes by District Management Area voters plus one proportional representation vote by local council voters (besides the two votes for the local council itself) and one representative from local councils (60/40).

How were district councils established?
Because 60% of each district council has to be made up of representatives from local councils, as well as the proportional votes from the local councils and the district management areas, district councils were established only in the fortnight following on the declaration of the municipal election results.

Who determined the roles and functions of the new municipalities?
The Minister of Provincial and Local Government and the provincial legislatures have published regulations on the powers and functions of the new municipalities.