Cape Agulhas
South Africa
South Africa
Rules of Order Regulating the Conduct of Meetings By-law, 2005
- Published in Western Cape Provincial Gazette 6303 on 3 October 2005
- Commenced on 3 October 2005
- [This is the version of this document from 3 October 2005 and includes any amendments published up to 28 July 2023.]
Part 1 – General
1. Definitions
In this by-law, unless inconsistent with the context—"council" means the municipal council of the Municipality of Cape Agulhas;"code" means the Code of Conduct for Councillors as set out in Schedule - of the Systems Act;"Constitution" means the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996;"MEC" means the member of the Provincial Executive Council responsible for local government in the province of the Western Cape;"meeting" means the meetings of the council;"motion" means a motion of which notice is given by a member but shall not include a motion as contemplated in sections 38 and 39;"member" means a member of the council;"municipal manager" means the person appointed by council in terms of the Structures Act, or a person delegated by the municipal manager;"rules" means the provisions of this by-law;"speaker" means the member elected as chairperson of the council or any other member acting as chairperson of the council;"Systems Act" means the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000);"Structures Act" means the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998).Part 2 – Application of Rules
2. Application
3. Supplementation
Part 3 – Meetings
4. Commencement of Meeting
The speaker must take the chair precisely at the time the meeting has been scheduled for and must proceed immediately with the business of the meeting subject to section 14.5. Order of Business
6. Non-disclosure of Matters
7. Speaker may introduce urgent matter
The speaker may at any time and without notice make any statement or introduce urgent matters.8. Business to be transacted
Except as otherwise provided in these rules, no matter not specified in the agenda of a meeting may be transacted at such meeting.9. Meetings
10. Attendance at Meetings
11. Leave of Absence
A member who wishes to absent himself or herself from meetings must before so absenting himself or herself, obtain leave of absence from the Council, provided that the speaker, on good cause shown, may grant leave of absence to a member who has been prevented by special circumstances from obtaining leave of absence from the Council.12. Sanction for Non-attendance
13. Minutes
14. Quorum
Part 4 – Decisions
15. Unopposed Matters
Whenever council is called upon to consider a matter before it and there is no opposition from any member, a unanimous vote will be recorded in the minutes.16. Opposed matters
17. Decisions
18. Preference to unopposed business
Part 5 – Public Access
19. Admittance of Public
The speaker must take reasonable steps to regulate public access to, and public conduct at meetings.20. Exclusion of the public from meetings
21. Re-admission of public and media to meetings
Part 6 – Order in Meetings
22. Conduct of non-members and members of the public
If a non-member or member of the public misconducts himself or herself, behaves in an unseemly manner or obstructs the business of any meeting, the speaker may direct such person to retire from the place of meeting for the remainder of the meeting and may, if necessary, cause him or her to be removed therefrom.23. Conduct of members
24. Offence
Any non-member or member of the public who—Part 7 – Rules of Debate
25. Member to address the chair
A member who speaks at a meeting must address the chair and may do so in any one of the three official languages of the Province of the Western Cape.26. Order of priority
When a member wishes to address the council, he or she must first have the permission of the speaker.27. Precedence of Speaker
Whenever the speaker addresses the meeting, all members must be silent so that the speaker may be heard without any interruption.28. Relevance
29. Right to speak
30. Length of speeches
Except with the consent of the speaker no member may speak for more than five minutes.31. Re-introduction of motion or question
No motion which has been rejected by the council and no question asked in terms of the rules and dealt with at any meeting may again be moved or asked within a period of three months of such meeting except with the consent of the speaker.32. Notices of motions
33. Notices of questions
34. Absence of mover or questioner
In the event of the mover or questioner not being present at the meeting of the council when called upon by the speaker to move a motion or ask a question standing in his name on the agenda, such motion or question shall lapse unless the original mover or questioner has notified the speaker in writing of a substitute to move the motion or ask the question.35. Motions and questions on matters dealt with by committee, executive mayor or member of the mayoral committee
36. Recommendation of the executive mayor regarded as motion
37. Questions
38. Motion of exigency
39. Motions of course
In addition to those provided for elsewhere in these rules, the following shall be regarded as motions of course:40. Points of order
A member may raise a point of order to call attention to a departure from these rules by stating the particular rule such member relies on, whereupon such member shall immediately be heard.41. Points of explanation
The speaker may allow a member to raise a point of explanation provided that such explanation shall be confined to some material part of the debate which may have been misunderstood.42. Withdrawal of motion, amendment or question
43. Speaker’s ruling on points of order and explanation
44. Order of debate
When a motion is under debate no further motion shall be received except the following:45. That the motion be amended
46. That consideration of the matter be postponed
47. That the council do now adjourn to another date
48. That the council adjourn for a specified time
49. That the debate be adjourned
50. That the matter be put to the vote
51. That the matter be removed from the agenda
Part 8 – Legislative Process
52. Introduction of draft by-laws
In accordance with section 12 of the Systems Act, a draft by-law may only be introduced by a member or the executive mayor.53. Introduction by member
54. Introduction by executive mayor
55. Publication
The municipal manager must as soon as possible after council has provisionally passed a by-law in terms of section 53(9) or the executive mayor has indicated satisfaction with a proposed by-law in terms of section 54(3), publish the draft by-law for public comment in order that the public will have the opportunity to make representations with regard thereto.56. Introduction to council
57. Debate Procedure
The rules pertaining to debate also apply to the legislative process.History of this document
03 October 2005 this version
Published in
Western Cape Provincial Gazette number 6303
Commences.