Pay back the money, says DA’s Xhelisilo

10 full-time EMLM councillors illegally paid

THE DA has called on Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) acting municipal manager Siyabonga Nkonki to ensure that all 10 full-time councillors in the local authority pay back the money allegedly paid to them illegally.

The Rep reported (“Query on councillors”, March 17) that DA councillor in EMLM Malibongwe Xhelisilo wrote to Nkonki asking him to cancel, with immediate effect, the salaries of 10 councillors who were allegedly unlawfully appointed during the inaugural council meeting last October.

He said according to the Provincial Gazette, only executive mayor Lindiwe Gunuza Nkwentsha and council speaker Mzoxolo Peter were eligible to be full-time councillors.

The other full-time councillors currently are chief whip Funeka Sopapaza, and political heads for corporate services Noluthando Nqabisa, community services Zukiswa Ralane and technical services Sibusiso Mvana. Others are integrated planning and economic development: Xoliswa Xelo, human settlements: Luleka Gubula, special programmes unit: Tembeka Bunu, public safety: Adele Hendricks, finance: Madoda Papiyane and municipal public accounts committee chairwoman Marina Bennett.

In a subsequent report (“MEC cuts down on full-time councillors”, June 2) MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa cut down the number of full-time councillors from 12 to eight. In a letter leaked to The Rep, Xasa said the municipality lost approximately R50-million of revenue during unrest, while approximately R100-million of reserves was depleted within a few months of the new entity.

Xasa said the municipality could not afford the salaries of the 12 full-time councillors. Full-time councillors earn R655 387 per annum for a grade 5 municipality and R891640 per annum for a grade 6 municipality, according to the remuneration for public office bearers document.

This week, Xhelisilo said the municipality had been paying illegal salaries for eight months without approval from Xasa. He said the municipality had, in the past, received instruction from Xasa to stop paying the salaries.

He said Xasa had recently again warned the municipality against paying the salaries.

“Even with the recent approval of the reduced number of full-time councillors, the municipality is not allowed to authorise full-time councillor payments pending the announcement of those appointments in the Provincial Gazette.

“We believe all full-time councillors need to pay back every extra amount they have received since September last year. The municipality continued to ignore the MEC’s directive and has continued the illegal expenditure, rather than focusing on service delivery in our almost bankrupt municipality,” Xhelisilo said.

He said the municipality could not continue to drown in debt while certain ANC officials continue receiving money intended for service delivery. “I again appeal to the acting municipal manager of Enoch Mgijima Municipality Siyabonga Nkonki to ensure that all 10 councillors immediately pay back each and every cent that was paid to them illegally.”

Xhelisilo said he further requested that Nkonki stopped the payment of full-time councillor salaries to all 10 councillors until an official announcement was published in the Provincial Gazette.

“We will continue to reject poor appointments and strive to re-establish an effective and transparent appointment system.”

EMLM communications manager Fundile Feketshane said Gunuza Nkwentsha was “still processing the letter” and the local authority would release a statement once the executive mayor had finished doing so.