The DA has reacted with outrage to a proposal to increase municipal manager Pravine Naidoo's remuneration package by close to half a million rands – a claim officials have denied.
The DA has reacted with outrage to a proposal to increase municipal manager Pravine Naidoo's remuneration package by close to half a million rands – a claim officials have denied.
The move appears to be a bid to retain Naidoo in the face of a competing offer from a Gauteng municipality. Documents show that Ekurhuleni offered R400 000 more than his current package to head their customer relations department.
Speaking to Grocott's Mail on Tuesday 20 August, DA Caucus leader Les Reynolds said the party would fight such a move tooth and nail. "There is no way we are going to pay somebody in Grahamstown R1.5 million," Reynolds said. "He already earns more than R1m. This town needs money for service delivery issues."
"The DA will fight this till the end. Under no circumstances will we allow this. This council is getting worse and worse."
He described as "silly games" what appeared to be an attempt by the MM to manipulate the situation and pointed out that Naidoo had agreed to his current package.
Makana municipality spokesperson Mncedisi Boma has dismissed the claims. However, in a confidential session of the Council meeting on 13 August, an item was tabled by the remuneration committee saying the Municipal Manager had been offered a job at Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality in Gauteng.
The committee noted the difference between the package Naidoo was earning at Makana and that offered by Ekurhuleni. According to the agenda the remuneration committee recommended to Council that "the increase of the first offer of R1 500 000 be considered" and that "the recommendation (a) above be implemented pending the availability of funds and for Council to make a decision".
Sources within Council confirmed that the item had been tabled; however, it was deferred.
Boma refused to comment on the agenda item and told the newspaper it was a confidential matter. "We have been constantly telling you (media) that confidential items are not to be communicated to the media. That is why it was a confidential item; I therefore refuse to comment on confidential matters. It is unethical," said Boma.
Sources within Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality confirmed that an offer had been made to a person for the position of Head of Department: Customer Relationship Management, but that the offer had been declined.
An appointment letter from Ekurhuleni municipality dated 5 March 2013 attached to the confidential agenda states that Naidoo would have been appointed as of 1 April 2013 in a fixed five-year contract.
The letter, signed by Ekurhuleni's city manager Khaya Ngema, read, "I have pleasure in advising that you are appointed in Council's service in the following conditions: Designation Head of Department: Customer Relationship Management… a cost to council package of R 1 500 000 as agreed with the remuneration committee."
The municipality is still accommodating Naidoo at a guest house in Grahamstown, where he has been since the beginning of April when he started working for Makana.
Asked whether Naidoo had not been able to find suitable accommodation for himself in the five months he has been in Grahamstown, Boma said "There was a mayoral resolution that we are providing accommodation for the last month, so we will accommodate the Municipal Manager until the end of August."
He said he didn't understand why the newspaper was surprised that the MM is still staying at a guest house. "We are guided by the three areas of governance in this institution, which are legal, ethical and financially sound. The senior management of this institution takes decisions based on those three areas," Boma said.
Naidoo had not responded to questions at the time of publishing.
