EThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, said the city’s high overtime bill was “unjustifiable” under the current circumstances.
In a report tabled to the Executive Council this week, it was revealed that the city shelved out R1.2 billion on overtime during the last financial year which ended in May. This figure represented a R100 million increase from last year.
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Sipho Cele, Acting City Manager, explained to the council that overtime is authorised by supervisor staff based on plans for additional work.
“One of the main challenges is there is under capacity in a number of staff positions including Metro Police, engineers (…) and we are in the process of recruiting more people to ease the pressure on the overtime bill,” said Cele.
The main beneficiaries of overtime seem to be Metro Police officers, who Cele said are understaffed.
“They usually find themselves responding to sporadic protests which we know don’t happen during working hours only,” said Cele.
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Cele also said the aging infrastructure around Durban has also played a role in the high overtime bill, with artisans having to report to many pipe bursts, electrical faults and sinkholes.
“There is a plan (to replace aging infrastructure) but it will take years to put in place,” said Cele.
Nicole Graham, Democratic Alliance eThekwini caucus leader, said she would like to see harsher consequences for people who are defrauding the city’s overtime processes. Graham relayed a story about an employee who pleaded guilty to defrauding the city’s overtime processes 10 times and was given a sanction of 10 days suspension without pay.
“What is the disincentive for anyone to run the proverbial gauntlet on the city’s overtime bill,” she said.
“Dismissal should be the appropriate recourse.”
Cele said they had a list of the top 10 units and top 150 earners of overtime and were constantly monitoring it for any discrepancies.
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