ANC STATEMENT ON THE GAUTENG GOVERNMENT PREPARATIONS
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

The ANC welcomes Gauteng MEC for Local Government and Housing, Dan 
Mofokeng's commitment to resolving the demarcation problem to meet 
the November 1 Local Government Elections deadline.

The ANC is encouraged by this latest move and calls on all MEC's
particularly in Kwazulu-Natal and the Western Cape to do everything
in their midst to ensure all our people participate with the rest of
the country in the last leg of democratisation of our country.

Unless a similar commitment is made by the affected MEC's in
Kwazulu-Natal and the Western Cape, such an omission can only
reinforce the view that both political parties wish to give
apartheid new labels and re-introduce it in new forms.

The commitment by Mofokeng, (coming at a time when President
Mandela has indicated that the local government elections would go
ahead as scheduled as 95% of areas nationally are ready), should be
welcomed by all as a move that will help unlock the logjam in the
Greater Johannesburg demarcation problem.

However, the mammoth task of resolving the Gauteng demarcation
problem cannot be solved by Mofokeng's magic wand. All political
parties in Gauteng, particularly the National Party should join
Mofokeng find a lasting solution which will ensure a win-win
situation for our communities.

The ANC remains committed to finding a national political
solution to what is otherwise a political problem. In this regard
the ANC has called on the national cabinet to intervene in the best
interest of the country to find a solution in conjuction with the
affected provinces to ensure no section of our people is left out of
the local government process.

Issued by: Department of Information and Publicity,
P.O. Box 61884, 
Marshalltown 2107, 
Johannesburg.
20 July 1995