Protection of Businesses Act, 1978
R 385
Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act No. 32 of 2000)Chapter 4 : Community Participation20. Admission of public to meetings |
| (1) | Meetings of a municipal council and those of its committees are open to the public, including the media, and the council or such committee may not exclude the public, including the media, from a meeting, except when— |
| (a) | it is reasonable to do so having regard to the nature of the business being transacted; and |
| (b) | a by-law or a resolution of the council specifying the circumstances in which the council or such committee may close a meeting and which complies with paragraph (a), authorises the council or such committee to close the meeting to the public. |
| (2) | A municipal council, or a committee of the council, may not exclude the public including the media, when considering or voting on any of the following matters: |
| (a) | A draft by-law tabled in the council; |
| (b) | a budget tabled in the council; |
| (c) | the municipality’s draft integrated development plan, or any amendment of the plan, tabled in the council; |
| (d) | the municipality’s draft performance management system, or any amendment of the system, tabled in the council; |
| (e) | the decision to enter into a service delivery agreement referred to in section 76(b); or |
| (f) | any other matter prescribed by regulation. |
| (3) | An executive committee mentioned in section 42 of the Municipal Structures Act and a mayoral committee mentioned in section 60 of that Act may, subject to subsection (1)(a), close any or all of its meetings to the public, including the media. |
| (4) | A municipal counciI— |
| (a) | within the financial and administrative capacity of the municipality, must provide space for the public in the chambers and places where the council and its committees meet: and |
| (b) | may take reasonable steps to regulate public access to, and public conduct at meetings of the council and its committees. |
