Storm over millions for municipal appointments
Opposition parties say: “It might be legal but is it necessary?”
KNYSNA – Less than a month into the recent ANC coalition take-over of the Knysna Municipality, a storm has erupted over the proposed appointment of six officials. Opposition parties said the appointments, that could leave a dent of up to R3m in municipal coffers, is "cadre deployment".
The municipality and the ANC however remain adamant that the appointments had been made within the ambit of the law to the benefit of Knysna.
DA: pointless posts
DA caucus leader Levael Davis said that, on 16 September, an item was served at a council meeting recommending changes to the municipal organogram to accommodate support services for political office bearers. These included proposals for a chief of staff and public relations officer for the mayor's office, while the deputy would receive a political advisor, a head of office and a personal assistant. It was also proposed that the speaker receive a head of office to assist him.
"This means that the cost to taxpayers to fill these pointless posts would be approximately R2,4m on the minimum scale and more than R3m at the top salary scale," Davis said.
He believes that, although regulations made provision for political office assistance that is reasonable and cost-effective, these proposals were "a smack in the face of clean governance and the community of Knysna fitting the bill".
During the previous administration, critical vacancies were budgeted for in areas such as community services, infrastructure and support services, he said.
"Instead of prioritising the filling of these service delivery essential vacancies, the ANC coalition aims to feast on taxpayers' money. In light of the above, the DA could not support these bloated costs for cadres and as a result voted against the proposed recommendations."
KIM: unnecessary millions
The Knysna Independent Movement (KIM) also criticised the appointments saying that the jobs would cost
taxpayers millions per year, despite the fact that none of the political jobs exist on the municipality's organogram. "The newly created posts would be laughable if the jobs so created for cadres did not come at a significant and unnecessary cost for our residents," the party said in a statement.
"The new governing coalition clearly has no problem with wasting public monies as is evident from a so-called strategic session held at the Premier Hotel on 7 September, to discuss the creation of these posts. This political meeting reportedly cost Knysna taxpayers more than R8 000."
KIM said that the posts are not needed for service delivery, and they would not contribute "a cent to creating much-needed jobs for the poor".
ANC: it's legal
According to ANC Western Cape spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni, the ANC-led coalition had not done anything that broke the law. "The council decisions are taken as per the prescripts of the law," he said.
"We of course expect that the DA would, like spoilt brats, complain at every decision that is taken and we cannot at every corner, respond to the DA's infantile outbursts when they failed a simple task of managing their own coalition agreements and leading the people of Knysna in a proper and sound manner."
He said that the coalition was committed to ensuring "proper capacity is brought into the municipality".
"We will focus all our energies on delivering services to the people of Knysna and guard against excesses including those from our ranks. We remain opposed to corruption and pillaging of municipal resources."
Knysna municipal spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhoudt confirmed that the posts had been added to the organisation structure in line with local government staff regulations. Bezuidenhoudt said these regulations stipulated that the staff establishment should provide the capacity to support the offices of the public office bearers.
"The vacancies are permissible in terms of the staff regulations and are within the law," he said.