BCM councillors to get 4% pay rise

MEC and mayor approve increases based on metro’s ‘sound finances’

Eastern Cape co-operative governance & traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa has given the go-ahead for 100 Buffalo City Metro councillors to receive the maximum 4% salary increment gazetted by Cogta minister Zweli Mkhize in December.

This comes after the BCM council approved the 4% increase for salaries, allowances and benefits of members of the BCM council.

The 4% increment is for the current financial year and the councillors will be backpaid from July 1 2018.

BCM mayor Xola Pakati will now earn R1,350,250 per annum, council speaker Alfred Mtsi’s package is worth R1,090,488 and mayoral committee members and council chief whip Mawethu Marata will earn R1,027,223 per annum.

Part-time councillors will now earn R505,677 per annum.

BCM had budgeted for a 7% salary hike during the current financial year.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch, Xasa said he received the application from BCM and approved it based on the metro’s capacity to raise revenue.

“They are relatively sound financially when you consider 4% and so we agreed that they must get the maximum increment of 4%.

“We don’t just thumbsuck the numbers even if they budgeted for more. We have very technical criteria we follow,” said Xasa, adding that there was a huge difference between BCM and the Amathole District Municipality, which he refused the 4% increment and only gave them 2%.

ANC senior councillor Sindiswa Gomba lambasted city manager Andile Sihlahla in the last council meeting for “misleading” the council when he said it was illegal for the council to approve the increment before the gazette was communicated by Mkhize.

“I would request the city manager not to punish councillors because we don’t empty bins in the streets, to really respect us as we need our money as it comes six months after the expectation.

“Don’t mislead council to say it’s illegal, it is not,” she said.

ANC councillor Crosby Kolela said: “When we get the lump sum it is taxed by SARS. We are not getting a new salary but it is an increment.

“A programme manager in BCM is earning more than an ordinary councillor.

“Every time there is an increase for councillors, there is an outcry from everyone but we are only getting 4%.

“We are requesting that we be taken seriously, even for people to stop comparing themselves with us and saying we earn a lot of money. There is no money here. People who are earning a lot of money are the administration bosses. We are servants here, that’s all.

“We make our own arrangements for medical aids, we are not fat cats,” said Kolela.

He said they wanted councillors to be treated with respect equal to members of parliament as they were also politicians and faced danger in local government.

There is no money here. People who are earning a lot of money are the administration bosses