Outrage over salary increase for Joburg city managers amid financial woes

While the City of Johannesburg is struggling with service delivery and financial problems, it has now granted its City Manager Floyd Brink and other senior managers a 3.3% salary increase.

Currently, Brink is one of the highest-earning city managers in the country.

Brink earns around R3.5 million while other senior managers earn between R2.2 million and R3.4 million per annum, these top salaries come with car allowance, medical aid, pension, and cell phone allowance.

Is the salary increase justified?

Despite the huge salary packages, The Citizen had reported that some of the managers enjoyed the privilege of VIP protection by members of the Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD).

Speaking on behalf of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg, councillor Nicole Rahn said the council approved the increases at a meeting this week.

She said some of the managers had not even reached their performance targets, but were now being rewarded with salary increases.

“The worst of it all is that the people who will now benefit from these increases are the very same people who cannot meet their Key Performance Indicators,” she said.

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“They are responsible for the reprehensible state of affairs Joburg finds itself in, now, they will be paid more to continue their ineffectiveness,” she added.

Salary increases lack motivation

Rahn said the salary increases were unethical and were done at a time when the city was facing bankruptcy.

“The DA refuses to be party to the morally indefensible action of implementing these increases while the City of Johannesburg is on the brink of bankruptcy,” Rahn said.

Over the last two years, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has had two loans approved from private sources, the latest was R2.5 billion.

“One week ago, the council approved a R2.5 billion loan for the CoJ. This was done on the premise that capital projects would be able to continue – improving service delivery. Not for salary increases,” Rahn said.

Meanwhile, the South African Local Government Association (Salga) said it was optimistic about the ongoing wage negotiations at the South African Local Bargaining Council (SALGBC), which concluded a second round on Friday, 26 July.

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Salga, which represents the CoJ and other municipalities has tabled an offer of a 3.75% across-the-board wage increase as part of a five-year salary and wage collective agreement, linked to inflation-based annual increases.

Rahn said the CoJ should be focusing on the current negotiations with the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) instead of giving increases to top officials.

“Currently, essential workers in the city are negotiating their wage increases. These include crucial benefits like pension funds and medical aid contributions. How will the city look our essential personnel in the eyes knowing that money that could have greatly improved their lives, will now line the pockets of already overpaid underperformers?” she questioned.

Rahn described the increases as an indictment on Joburg residents who struggle with service delivery issues on a daily basis.

“These increases are an indictment against the city. While taps run dry, electricity stays off, and roads vanish into dust. The priority surely cannot be to increase an already bloated wage bill,” she said.

The DA is considering taking the CoJ to court over the salary increases.

The Citizen had reached out to the CoJ for comment. The article will be published as soon as comment is received.