City funeral policy for councillors under scrutiny

OPPOSITION parties in the ethekwini Municipality called for an explanation on unequal funeral policy payouts following the deaths of three councillors recently.

The municipality has in place a Civic Funeral Policy since 2016 to afford individuals who have been declared eligible for a civic funeral, a dignified funeral by the municipality.

Former councillor Mfanufikile

Cele, also known as Snow, was brutally murdered on August 4, 2022 in an attempted car-jacking in Ntuzuma, said a report tabled before ethekwini Executive Committee on Tuesday. Cele was a Proportional Representative councillor in ward 39 from 2011 until 2016.

Qalukwena Mlebuka Hlengwa, a PR councillor from 2016 to 2021, died on August 10 after a short illness. Hlengwa will be laid to rest on Sunday.

During this period they ensured that the council exercised a strong oversight to ensure speedy and effective service delivery in their wards, stated ethekwini Acting City Manager Musa Mbhele. R100 000 will be provided to their families for the burial costs.

IFP exco member Mdu Nkosi said the city needed to be consistent with its payments because last month the family of Nomthandazo Zoe Shabalala received R200 000. Nkosi wanted clarity on the matter.

DA exco member councillor Thabani Mthethwa said his party cannot keep quiet when there were double standards. Mthethwa wanted to know what criteria were followed to arrive at both decisions.

The ANC exco member councillor Nkosenhle Madlala said a day should be set aside to relook at the policy so the issue is not debated again in exco.

Ethekwini mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda said there was a consensus reached at exco, on Tuesday, that the councillors’ family should each receive R200 000.

“The policy says it can go up to R200 000. So it depends because we were looking at the purse. When we have two former councillors applying on the very same week and month, it may affect the funds of the municipality.

“But if it is the opinion of the house that we go back to those families and give them an additional R100 000 each it would have to be a resolution of this house,” Kaunda said.

The matter will come up for discussion at Full Council this month.