The fund aims to garner its seed funding from voluntary contributions from the mayor, mayoral committee members, speaker, Section 79 portfolio committee chairmen, councillors and the municipality’s top management.

The call is for council and municipal management structures to contribute 4% of their annual increments for April, May and June.

According to a municipal estimate, the fund could start at a staggering R315 000, if only the above mentioned public servants and municipal office bearers contribute.

According to the estimate, it would cost Mayor Bagudi Tolo R4 125, Speaker Andries Mabena R3 300, mayoral committee members R3 094 each, councillors R1 306 each, the Municipal Public Accounts Committee Chairman R3 003 and Section 70 chairpersons R1 675 each, over three months, amounting to R97 345.

Should senior managers contribute their 4% in increments, Municipal Manager Mr Bheki Khenisa’s contribution would be R8 697 on his present grade 5 management level.

He has, however, been promoted to level 6 during Friday’s virtual special council sitting, earning him back pay of more than R700 000 on his 2019/2020 salary increase.

On level 6 increments, Mr Khenisa would contribute just over R55 000 over three months, with executive directors contributing R40 000 for the same period.
The total contributions towards the fund from level 6 managers of the municipality tally to R217 708.

Both the DA and EFF declined to contribute to the fund.

According to DA caucus leader Mr Johann Dyason, the DA has already contributed R1.5 million from the DA Councillor’s Fund towards the national Covid-19 Solidarity Fund.

“Despite the fact that across all borders of race, religion and gender, people have lost their jobs and are unable to fend for themselves thanks to lockdown, the government has politicised the virus by only benefitting B-BBEE compliant South Africans,” Mr Dyason told the Middelburg Observer.

“Due to the discrimination, and the DA’s donation of R1.5 million towards the fund, the DA in Middelburg will not contribute towards the municipal support fund,” he rationalised.

The EFF has also declined to contribute towards the municipal fund, after already agreeing to a 33% contribution of salaries towards national relief efforts from April to June.

The EFF, however, also raised alarm bells over the composition of the fund’s board, which will comprise of Mayor Tolo, two town councillors, two representatives from organised labour, two representatives from local civic organisations, the chairman of the municipal audit committee, one representative from the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one local religious leader and one representative from local traditional leadership.

“This is just another opportunity for the ANC to monopolise Covid-19 outreach projects to benefit the ANC in the coming local government elections,” EFF caucus leader Mr Enos Sebesho told the paper.

He said that the community of Middelburg should play a pivotal role in the appointment of board members to see to it that “not only card-carrying members of the ANC are appointed to oversee relief efforts.”

“The EFF particularly don’t want to see any SA National Civic Organisation member taking the open seat for civic organisations because “he or she will toe the ANC’s line as alliance partner”.

FF+ councillor Mr Johan Duvenhage says the party’s two council representatives will also not be contributing due to minorities being excluded from benefits.

The fund’s focus areas will be social development, homeless support, food security support, informal trade support, domestic violence support and unemployment support.

The board will have a disbursement committee to channel relief, an audit and risk committee as well as a fundraising committee.

The fund will have a separate bank account from the municipality and contributions are voluntary as the fund is not legislated.

A governance framework will be developed by the board to guide allocations, and the fund will be audited by the Auditor General.
The community and businesses will be targeted next for contributions.