Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality has noted, with dismay the unprecedented allegations levelled against the Municipality by the National Cabinet Representative. From the article in the Rep Newspaper and other media houses, Dr Monde Tom (NCR) alleges that 80% of Enoch Mgijima Municipal employees are paid more than twice what is actually due to them. The allegations were apparently made in a meeting with ratepayers in Komani.
While it is not ideal for the Municipality and NCR to send opposing messages in media and other public platforms, the Municipality distances itself from the assertions made by Dr Tom as there is no known basis for such a conclusion. It must be noted that there has been no engagement between Enoch Mgijima senior management and the NCR team on the findings made with regards to salaries and other issues.
The Municipal management convened a meeting with the NCR and his team today (08/11/2022) where it became clear that the NCR team based their conclusions on comparisons made between municipalities and other spheres of the economy. In the meeting, the NCR refused to confirm his alleged statements as quoted in the media. The NCR could not demonstrate or show any general worker who is earning R18 000 instead of R8 000 or those earning double as what they were supposed to earn as reported.
Salaries paid to municipal officials across the country are based on the Task Evaluation and Grading system. Enoch Mgijima cannot determine on its own deviate from the Task Grading system and any comparison made between the salaries paid to municipal officials and workers in the private sector (including retailers like Pick ‘n Pay and Spar) undoubtably led to the misrepresentations and confusion the NCR created during his remarks to the ratepayers.
At no stage did the NCR discuss his “findings” with the management or leadership of the Municipality and calls upon the NCR to withdraw his public statements and correct the negative public perceptions he created with his premature release of his findings. The report and its finding are thus rejected, and a passionate plea is made for the NCR and the team to embark on a benchmarking exercise with similar-sized municipalities in the country and then reconsider their “findings”.
Management will at all times be available and ready to engage further with the NCR on any matter affecting the institution. Another meeting between the Municipality and other relevant stakeholders which include SALGA, Trade Union, COGTA and others.
The Municipality is still battling financial challenges which include the huge Eskom debt, and NCR was expected to develop a Financial Recovery (FRP) which would address those challenges. The FRP was to be submitted to Council by August this year but has still not been finalized and the Municipality has decided to implement its own revenue collection strategy and is able to pay Eskom on a monthly basis without any support from the NCR.
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For more information Lonwabo Kowa
Manager: Communications
T +27 45 807 2606 F +27 45 807 2637 E info@enochmgijima.gov.za F