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{
    "id": 826924,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/826924/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 403,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Godfrey Osotsi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13172,
        "legal_name": "Godfrey Osotsi",
        "slug": "godfrey-osotsi"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Temporary Deputy Chairlady, I beg to move: THAT, Clause 5 of the Bill be amended by— (a) inserting the following new paragraph immediately before paragraph (a)— (a) by deleting paragraph (a) and substituting therefor the following new paragraph (a) — “(a) either has— (i) a population of at least two hundred and fifty thousand residents according to the final gazette results of the last population census carried out by an institution authorized under any written law, preceding the application for grant of city status; or (ii) has the capacity to effectively and efficiently provide specialised or unique essential services to its residents and visitors including but not limited to services relating to high technology, innovation, diplomacy, health, manufacturing, finance, banking, tourism or such other specialised services as may be approved by the ad hoc-committee under section 8 of this Act;” (b) renumbering the existing paragraph (a) of clause 5 as (aa) The import of the amendment is that the Bill proposes the criteria for determination of cities and puts a lot of premium on the population and not other factors. We know that there are cities in this world which have less than 250,000 people, but are cities. For example, we have specialised cities for various aspects. We have technology cities. In Kenya, we are going to construct Konza City which is unlikely to have 250,000 people. We have a city like Geneva, one of the largest financial and diplomatic cities globally, but most people in Geneva do not stay there. Some stay in France and others in German. So, if we limit determination of cities on the basis of population alone, then we will be retarding development. I am worried, as an ICT expert, that Konza City, which is technology-based, may not take off if population is going to be the only basis of determining its city status."
}