DA To Table Bill to Place Fishing Harbours Under Municipal Management

This is a statement issued by the Democratic Alliance.

Tomorrow, 1 June 2012, DA Shadow Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Pieter Van Dalen MP and DA member on the Private Members Bill Committee, Patricia Kopane MP, will host a press conference at the Hout Bay harbour.

Van Dalen and Kopane will present the DA’s legislative proposal to make the ownership and management of small harbours a municipal (instead of a national) competence. The Constitution declares small harbours a municipal competence as per Schedule 4 (B), but no legislation currently exists to give effect to this provision. 

The poor state of the Hout Bay harbour is evidence that national government is not managing small harbours as it should. This is to the detriment of thousands of people who rely on well-functioning harbours for their livelihoods.

Date: Friday, 01 June 2012

Time: 10am

Meeting point: Hout Bay harbour, pier near Snoekies Restaurant, Cape Town.