Region A ward committee members’ induction turns sour after members demand an increase in stipends
The induction went well until Da Gama mentioned that the committee members cannot earn two salaries, meaning they are unable to participate in city projects.
For the work they do for the community, Region A ward committee members expressed concern about not receiving enough stipend payments from the government.
An induction was held by the City of Johannesburg Legislature at Halfway House Primary School on August 27 for the Region A ward committee members in order for them to get a better understanding of the structure of government and their roles.
Residents from Region A wards also attended the meeting as Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe welcomed everyone and congratulated the ward committee members on their election.
The Speaker of Council Vasco Da Gama discussed the committee members’ duties, including helping ward councillors, learning the boundaries of their wards, and representing all the members of their community, including businesses, non-governmental organisations, and sports organisations. “When we are elected, we serve all the residents,” said Da Gama.
He announced that the community-based planning will begin in September and that these meetings allow residents to have a say in what the priorities in those wards are.
There was a lively atmosphere at the induction until the speaker mentioned that the committee members cannot earn two salaries, meaning they cannot become involved in the projects of the city. This sparked great dissatisfaction among the committee members.
Evans Sithole, one of the committee members, expressed, “We are the ones who work with the community to make sure that services work for the residents as well as create lasting results, making sure that community developments and participation are driven at the ward level. It’s impossible to expect us to do all those things with just R1 000 when you also refuse us to participate in the city’s projects.”
Nceba Kolisa, another committee member who runs a company that gets contracts, cautioned that without the city allowing them to earn two salaries, other people’s businesses, including his own, will not be able to compete for government work and will go out of business.
Although there was a question-and-answer session scheduled for later on in the programme, the meeting could not proceed as the committee members had some ‘burning questions’ they wanted answered immediately. They wanted to resolve the issue of not earning two salaries.
Da Gama was not given any opportunity to follow the programme and left before the presentation of the government structure could take place.
Related Article:
First Midrand Community Policing Forum public meeting post-Covid-19 held
