AfriForum against salary increase for councillors to cost cash-strapped metro R161m
The organisation joins other groups that are against the 5% increase in councillors’ salaries.
The civil rights organisation AfriForum is calling on the Tshwane metro to prioritise service delivery instead of splashing a whopping R161-million per year on the salaries of councillors following their 5% salary increase.
The organisation joined groups and parties in protesting against the 5% increase in councillors’ salaries while the metro is grappling with paying off its debt.
Tshwane councillors have given themselves a salary and cellphone allowance increase, however, this will only be effected after concurrence by the MEC for Cooperative Governance.
The metro approved the increase – retroactive to July 1, 2024 – for councillors during a special council meeting last week.
This has raised a few eyebrows, especially in light of the metro’s struggle with financial stability and service delivery problems.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo explained that the backdating of the payments to July 2024 is done according to the ministerial determination of upper limits of salaries, allowances and benefits of different members of municipal councils. This was published in Government Gazette no 51419 on October 21, 2024.
However, AfriForum said Pretoria is falling into disrepair and pollution, while councillors pocket R161-million.
Llewellynn Hemmens, AfriForum’s district co-ordinator for Greater Pretoria North said Tshwane councillors will now cost the metro a total of R161-million a year.
“R119-million for salaries, R4.8-million for pension and unemployment funds, R4.4-million for medical and a shocking R32-million for vehicle allowance.”
The mayor, speaker and members of the mayoral committee will also pocket R1.2-million a year each.
“One might hope that councillors will use this financial boost to pay their own arrears in municipal bills, which totalled R2.5- million by March 2024,” said Hemmens.
He said while councillors plan what to do with all of their new salaries, the question remains whether the Tshwane metro has any plans to pay off its R6.7-billion debt to Eskom.
However, AfriForum strongly doubts that the metro has the welfare of the metropolis and its residents in mind, which is why they tackled service delivery problems early this year.
Hemmens said AfriForum’s Pretoria neighbourhood teams have already cleaned stormwater drains, creeks and pavements this year, as well as removed rubbish in the city.
AfriForum neighbourhood teams in Pretoria removed around15 517 bags of rubbish and recycled 43 560kg in 2024.
He said the organisation has also already increased its recycling project in areas such as Groenkloof in the New Year and plans to expand to large parts of Pretoria.
In addition, there will be a focus on illegal dumping, safety, streams, water leaks and road safety.
“Community members cannot rely on state institutions to take care of their residential areas, therefore they must themselves become involved in organisations such as AfriForum that actively identify and solve problems. We will use our resources effectively to create sustainable solutions for communities,” concluded Hemmens.
Michael Beaumont, national chairperson of ActionSA, said the increase for councillors was the first in four years and that it was below inflation.
“It has been budgeted for and unanimously supported by the previous administration last year and is being implemented now. Continuing to squeeze councillors financially would be detrimental to the pursuit of effective relationships between better-serviced communities and committed councillors.”
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) called upon the council to display the same enthusiasm by paying workers the outstanding increases of 3.5% and 5.4% and most importantly, refocusing the budget for service delivery.
Samwu spokesperson Donald Monakhisi said : “The energy the council used to approve this increase should be applied to the toiling municipal workers as well as those facing the financial squeeze due to ever-increasing transport costs, water, lights, and other unavoidable expenses.”
In December 2024, Monakhisi said his union would intensify its efforts to hold the metro accountable for the salary increases owed to workers – 3.5% and 5.4% for 2021 and 2023 respectively. “As we await the outcome of the Labour Court on this matter, we will pursue the city to the last avenue available to us.”
FF Plus voted against a salary increase for councillors in the Tshwane Metro Council even though they have not received a raise for the past seven years.
Pieter Meijer of the FF Plus said the party is not opposed to giving councillors a raise, but seeing that the metro currently finds itself in a financial crisis, it is unaffordable.
“One of the causes of the financial crisis is outstanding Eskom debt as well as the agreement reached between the metro and Eskom in terms of a court order.”
He said if the metro fails to comply with the conditions of this court order, Eskom may attach the metro’s bank account, as in the case of the Emfuleni Local Municipality.
As a result, Emfuleni was unable to pay salaries and its creditors.
The FF Plus cannot morally or ethically agree to any needless expense that could put the metro in that same position.
He said his party also voiced its dissatisfaction with the contracting of cleaning services that will see taxpayers shelling out another R7.8-million per year.
Pretoria verval en vervuil, terwyl raadslede R161 miljoen in hul sakke steek https://t.co/RVJD8tmCRE
— AfriForum (@afriforum) January 23, 2025
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