Concern over city managers' pay

2011-09-19 14:14

Johannesburg - Reports that city managers earned salaries comparable to senior political leaders warrant transparent performance agreements, the DA said on Monday.

"The Johannesburg city manager [Mavela Dlamini], for instance, earns R2.3m a year, which is higher than Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe," said Democratic Alliance Gauteng spokesperson Fred Nel.

Dlamini also had a better income than newly appointed Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng who earned R2.2m a year, he said.

The Sowetan reported on Monday that the only public official earning more than Dlamini was President Jacob Zuma with R2.5m annually.

Following Dlamini was eThekwini manager Mike Sutcliffe (R2.1m), Ekurhuleni manager Khaya Ngema (R1.8m) and City of Cape Town manager Achmat Ebrahim (R1.7m).

Nel said: "Publishing their performance contracts will allow citizens to see what is expected from top municipal officials who are paid with their rates and taxes."

This would also allow analysts to evaluate whether the performance agreements were in line with each municipality's service delivery strategy, he said.

"If ministers' agreements with the president can be published then so should that of municipal managers."

Outrage

The SA Municipal Workers’ Union said exorbitant salaries were at the expense of suffering workers and communities.

"It is absurd that these managers get paid millions, even though the municipalities they work for are plagued with corruption, nepotism, crisis and the poor delivery of services," the union said in a statement.

"The severity of the challenges faced by many municipalities warrants many of these managers to be sacked, let alone receive handsome remunerations and performance bonuses."

It said once workers, some who earned as little as R4 000 a month, learnt of their employers' salaries, nothing less than outrage would be expected.

"Workers deserve nothing less than a decent living wage and their managers far less than what they are currently getting."

Co-operative government spokesperson Vuyelwa Quinga Vika referred queries to the SA Local Government Association (Salga), which was not immediately in a position to comment.

- SAPA