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Local Government, Rural and Urban Development permanent secretary Mr Killian Mpingo said yesterday that “clarity on the matter” would be available after Cabinet deliberated and approved the alignment of electoral laws.
“The alignment of electoral laws will determine when the councillors leave office,” he said.
Law experts Professor Lovemore Madhuku and Mr Terrence Hussein proffered different views on when the councillors’ terms end. Prof Madhuku said the country’s 91 local authorities would remain in office until new councils were elected and sworn in.
He said amendments to the Urban Councils Act and the Rural District Councils Act in 2008 inserted a clause that allowed councillors to remain in office until a new council was elected.
“Councillors, including mayors and chairpersons’ terms, only expire when new councillors or mayors are elected,” he said. “The office of councillor shall hold office until the election or appointment of his or her successor in office.”
But Mr Hussein said councils would be put under the leadership of caretaker commissions from June 30 following the expiry of the term of office for the country’s ward councillors “whose terms run concurrently with those of members of the House of Assembly”.
Online Reporter