Durban — EThekwini ratepayers are closely monitoring councillors’ proposed salary budget for 2023 which is alleged to be an estimated R145 million per annum.
This comes after ActionSA PR councillor in eThekwini, Alan Beesley, said he was perusing the City’s accounts and a number that stood out for him was how much the City is paying to councillors in total.
“I was struck by the quantum of the total. A staggering R145million, costing residents R12.1million a month – and this is pure remuneration,” Beesley said.
If one had to work out what councillors were costing the eThekwini Municipality in total, it would be a lot more, Beesley added.
This was because one would have to add security for some of the councillors; the whole department in the city providing support to councillors; rented offices for councillors and the cost of holding a council meeting, including catering.
“The big question is ‘are residents and businesses receiving value for money in respect of the above?’ The answer must be ‘no’,” Beesley said.
The total remuneration paid to councillors was R135 888 000 for the year ending June 2023.
The budget for the year ending June 2024 is R145 266 000, and a current monthly spend of R11 488 000.
This is before the councillors awarded themselves a salary increase at the last council meeting, said Beesley.
Beesley said that in addition to the councillors’ salary, the municipality:
- Has an entire department that looks after councillors.
- Pays for councillors’ office rent.
- Pays a constituency allowance for each councillor.
- Provides catering for committee meetings.
- Pays the cost of holding council meeting – hire of venue, security, catering.
- Security for some councillors.
Westville Ratepayers’ Association leader Asad Gaffar said that if the councillors really did their work properly, then the issue of their salaries would not be in question.
Gaffar said, “The problem is that most of these councillors have other jobs on the side; they are not really focused on serving their communities.”
Queensburgh Ratepayers’ chairperson Sash Singh said that the councillors’ remuneration packages were way too much.
“Regarding the kind of service delivery provided to the residents of eThekwini, their remuneration packages are way too high, as compared to the kind of work they provide their communities,” Singh said.
Phoenix Civic Movement leader Vivian Pillay said all municipal departments have failed to provide service delivery due to their cadre deployment policies.
Pillay said wasteful expenditure has been a problem in eThekwini Municipality.
“Lack of service delivery violates the citizens’ rights and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
“Section 10 of the Constitution focuses on human dignity, respect and protection.
“The provision of services by government officials is not a matter of choice, but mandatory. If people are denied this service, then human rights are violated,” he said.
Pillay added that Phoenix councillors have failed to have regular meetings with their constituencies, as prescribed, and “therefore have no mandate to represent the ratepayers, but are lackeys of their political parties”.
Narend Naidoo of the Isipingo Ratepayers’ Association said that the news about the councillors’ salaries was another nail in the coffin of the already cash-strapped eThekwini residents.
“How can we be expected to fork out more for tariffs, while they are living the lives of kings. So much money should be spent on service delivery, instead of spending it on paying salaries to the people who fail to deliver on their promises,” Naidoo said.
The IFP’s eThekwini leader councillor, Mdu Nkosi, said the issue of councillor salaries is not determined by the council but is from the national government gazette that proposes how much councillors must be paid.
“What eThekwini Municipality should do is to improve and work on service delivery, and to ensure that residents are provided with proper services.
“Promises made by councillors and the municipality around service delivery must be fulfilled at all times,” Nkosi stressed.
The DA eThekwini caucus leader, councillor Thabani Mthethwa, said that in eThekwini the councillors work under difficult conditions as they have to deal with angry and frustrated residents who don’t receive services.
“What is letting both councillors and the residents down are the municipal officials who don’t do what they are being paid for,” Mthethwa stated.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said they have referred the matter to the relevant municipal department to investigate the validity of the issues and claims being raised.
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Daily News