Less cheer for councillors this year

NELSPRUIT – A cheque of R4 000 can go a long way towards adding festive cheer or a vacation to one’s end-of-year plans. The lack thereof, especially when one has counted on receiving it, can leave a bitter taste in one’s mouth.

This is what municipal councillors across the country are finding out. Every year, their back pay due on annual salary increases are paid out at this time of the year. However, this year the process has been delayed.

Mr Masika Nkosi, provincial chairman of the South African Local Government Association (Salga), which represents the interests of local government, explained that the procedure has been held up at national level.

Nkosi explained that the process is for stakeholders such as Salga to make its submissions on the increase. These are taken into account by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers in the presidency, which is tasked with making recommendations concerning the salaries, allowances and benefits of office bearers.

They make recommendations to the president, who announces his decision. Following this notice, there are 14 days in which the MECs and minister of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) as well as the minister of finance and Salga consult on the matter before the final notice is developed. Only then does the MEC of Cogta, in Mpumalanga’s case Mr Simon Skhosana, distribute the back pay to municipalities.

Nkosi could not say why the matter had been delayed. The presidency could not be reached for comment. Mr Jo Koster, a DA councillor in Mbombela Local Municiapality (MLM), said councillors were not happy as they were counting on receiving the money before Christmas like always.

“Ever since councillors started receiving remuneration for their work, they have never been paid this late,” Koster said. “People work it into their budgets at this time of the year.”

Mr Mandla Msibi, an ANC councillor, said councillors counted on receiving the money, before the festive season and that this had always been the case in the past. He said it was unfortunate that he had to find out by making informal inquiries into the matter himself.

“It would have been prudent to formally inform us. I think we are supposed to be briefed formally on this matter,” he said. Following numerous inquiries by different councillors, Mbombela eventually on Thursday notified all its councillors that they will not be receiving the money before the end of this year.

However, the matter is not limited to MLM alone, but involves all municipalities countrywide. Nkosi said the mayors, municipal managers and speakers of each municipality were aware of the situation. At the time of going to press, Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for the municipality, could not be reached for comment.