Cape Town – The mayors Cape Town and Stellenbosch have welcomed calls for the introduction of performance management and accountability for all councillors including mayors and speakers.
The proposal contained in the SA Local Government Association’s (Salga) five-year strategic plan for the period 2022-27, wants a remuneration regime that is based on performance and accountability.
Asked for his thoughts on the matter, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said, “In the private sector, performance-related pay is standard practice, so I’m very much in favour of performance related pay.”
Stellenbosch mayor Gesie van Deventer said: “As a mayor who strives for service delivery excellence and good governance, I welcome any suggestion that makes mayors around the country more accountable and performance-based.”
Drakenstein mayor Conrad Poole said that while he is happy with the status quo regarding remuneration, performance management and accountability, the proposals are something Salga will have to debate with the department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).
“My focus remains on clean governance and excellent service delivery for the residents of Drakenstein Municipality.
During Salga’s national conference last week representatives of the country's municipalities proposed that mayors receive a performance-based salary.
Salga said it also wanted to lobby for responsive remuneration for staff in the country’s 257 municipalities.
Salga said the new remuneration will be based on performance and dependant on the municipality’s allocation from the National Treasury.
South Africa's almost 9 500 councillors earn nearly R7 billion of the more than R11.6bn spent on salaries, of about 20 600 public office bearers every year.
In November last year Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma confirmed a wage freeze for senior municipal workers.
The minister indicated that she had consulted all MECs responsible in local government, in the nine provinces, before announcing her decision to determine a 0% cost of living adjustment for the upper limits of salaries, allowances and benefits of different members of municipal councils for the 2020/21 financial year.