Makana Municipality will soon be increasing councillors’ salaries by 7%.
Makana Municipality will soon be increasing councillors’ salaries by 7%.
This follows a circular issued last month by the South African Local Government Association (Salga) announcing salary increases for public office-bearers.
As explained in the circular, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Sicelo Shiceka has sent a draft notice regarding the upper salary limits for councillors to MECs, the treasury and SALGA for comments.
The comments will inform the minister’s determination, after which a final notice will be published in the Government Gazette for implementation.
Makana corporate services director Thabiso Klaas said that before the municipality can effect the increase, which will be backdated to 1 July 2009, the percentage increase should be published by Shiceka in the gazette.
Klaas explained that the 11,5% increase for which the municipality made a provision when approving its budget for the 2009/2010 financial year was just to ensure that money is set aside to pay the councillors when the "president promulgates" the increases. He emphasised that the municipality has not effected any salary increases for councillors during this financial year, which began on 1 July 2009.
According to the circular, on 12 November 2009, the Independent Commission for Remuneration of Public Office Bearers recommended that the upper limits of the annual remuneration of councillors be increased by 8% of the present annual remuneration of office bearers for the financial year commencing 1 July 2008.
The process of determining the salaries, benefits and allowances of councillors provides that after the commission has made its recommendations, the state president makes a decision which gets published by the Co-operative Governance minister after consultation with Local Government MECs in the provinces.
"After a consideration of the recommendations from the Commission, the President has determined the actual remuneration levels of all public office bearers at a 7% annual increase across the board," reads the circular.
"Whilst it will be implemented immediately, the process to be followed for councillors is that the Minister will issue a draft notice to MECs, Treasury and SALGA for comments. Comments received will inform the Minister’s final determinations, whereafter the final notice will be published."
