Money diverted to pay village heads
KZN health, education departments cede millions to traditional leaders
The contentious issue of salaries paid to izinduna (or headmen) has again cast a shadow over MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube when she delivered her co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) budget at the KwaZuluNatal legislature in Pietermaritzburg yesterday.
Provincial government departments’ budgets are to be cut to foot the salary bill for the headmen.
Cogta will pay half of the bill‚ while the other half will be “proportionately” cut from other departments.
The salary bill will be R252.3-million in this financial year before the contributions from other departments.
Opposition members were fuming after she revealed that about R440 852 000 of the department’s R1 585 226 000 was going to be used for the salaries of village heads.
The R440 852 000 is part of the traditional affairs R561million allocation.
The DA’s Hlanganani Gumbi said it was despicable that other departments had to divert service delivery funds to fund headmen and women.
“The department of health alone had to divert R100-million while the department of education is funding izinduna remuneration with R200-million. Why is this money being taken from service delivery departments,” asked Gumbi.
Gumbi said his party was not oblivious of the societal role played by traditional leadership and headmen, but was against the costs that came with it.
The IFP’s Phumzile Buthelezi also added her voice‚ questioning why Cogta was not properly managing the issue of paying the village heads.
In her speech, Dube-Ncube said to date a total of 2 998 izinduna were being paid.
“In total they should be 3 153‚ however, in a few areas there are administrative matters that are being resolved.”
She admitted the matter had had a major impact on the financial position of the department.
Nonzwakazi SwartbooiNtombela‚ chairwoman of the Cogta portfolio committee‚ also conceded that 50% of the department’s budget has had to be reprioritised to pay headmen and women.
The village leaders‚ who still hold sway in some rural areas‚ have been pushing the provincial government to pay them since February 2014 when President Jacob Zuma signed a proclamation that said they should be remunerated.
A team led by Premier Willies Mchunu is looking at the issue of back pay from 2014.
Health alone had to divert R100million Hlanganani Gumbi DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE