Outgoing municipal councillors are set to lose thousands of rand in salaries and benefits as their five-year term comes to an end this month.
In eThekwini Municipality, which is KwaZulu-Natal’s only metro, the monthly cost of employing a councillor is around R55,000, including a basic salary of about R33,000. A committee chairperson will lose more than R1 million in salary and benefits over a full five-year term.
While some political office-bearers will be able to return to office should they win their wards or become PR councillors, the majority will join the ranks of the unemployed after next month’s polls.
DA councillor Thabani Ndlovi said he planned to resume his professional career if he did not return to council.
“There is a lot of risk for councillors, especially if they have not been able to plan for the future,” he said. “This is one of the saddest things to witness: councillors often do not have solid plans for when they fail to return to council. It is very common for councillors to struggle with what to do next.
“I think the biggest challenges might be a lack of financial literacy and poor planning. This is a demanding position that involves a lot of travelling and unplanned expenses. It requires financial discipline and saving for the future,” he said.
He added that he had options if he did not return to council. “I cannot speak on behalf of my colleagues. However, if I am not re-elected as a councillor, I will have to consider my options, most likely returning to my professional career, which I pursued for several years before entering politics,” he said.
Speaking about his term as a councillor, he said: “This term was a real eye-opener for me. I served on two portfolios: the Security and Emergency Services Portfolio and, later, the Finance Committee.
“I learned a lot about where things actually go wrong, including poor budgeting and a lack of reporting and oversight. It was truly an honour to have this opportunity, and I will forever be grateful to my party for choosing me as one of its representatives,” he said.
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said forward planning was essential for councillors. “I joined the council about two and a half years ago. When I joined, I knew that my term would end at the end of this month,” he said.
Speaking about his work, Xaba said he was proud of what had been achieved to date, including helping the city recover from the 2021 riots and multiple natural disasters. He said much had been achieved during the five-year term, from improving service delivery to addressing housing problems caused by the floods and helping flood victims recover from the devastation.
In uMsunduzi Municipality, an ordinary councillor earns approximately R38,000 before deductions. Councillors in uMsunduzi and eThekwini will receive their final payment on 5 November, a day after the local government elections, when new councillors are elected. Councillors who do not return after the 4 November local government elections will receive a three-month gratuity payment and will then have to seek new employment.
ACDP councillor Rienues Niemand said: “When it comes to pensions, not all councillors will receive a pension. Only those who applied for membership and have been making contributions will qualify for pension benefits,” he said.
He added that councillors who lost their seats would receive a three-month salary gratuity from the national government. “After that, councillors who are not returning will have to find work,” he said.
Former eThekwini councillor and Chief Executive Officer for Ground Work Mbali Ntuli called on councillors who would be joining the public service after the election to protect themselves. “To all councillors who will be elected after the 4 November elections, especially first-time councillors and councillors from parties that do not offer financial counselling, listen to me carefully: make sure you join the municipal pension scheme,” she said.