As Makana's Pravine Naidoo holds out for a package that would make him the highest-paid municipal manager in the district, it has emerged that almost six months into the job, he has still not signed his five-year contract.
As Makana's Pravine Naidoo holds out for a package that would make him the highest-paid municipal manager in the district, it has emerged that almost six months into the job, he has still not signed his five-year contract.
During a Special Council meeting on Wednesday 11 September, councillors again deferred the question of Naidoo's remuneration package, citing a lack of documentation.
The move follows a recommendation from the Council's remuneration committee last month that a yearly package of R1.5 million be considered for the municipal manager. Held up as an incentive to do so was a letter offering him a post in Ekurhuleni Municipality for that exact remuneration.
Discussed during a confidential session of this week's Council meeting, the matter was again deferred.
In the confidential agenda, of which Grocott's Mail has a copy, the remuneration committee tabled an overview of salary packages of all municipalities in the Cacadu District.
The breakdown of the packages revealed that should Makana agree to pay Naidoo R1.5m he would be the only municipal manager paid that much in the district – even more than the municipal manager of Cacadu district municipality, who earns R1 204 011 a year.
According to the report, Ndlambe's municipal manager is paid R43 962 a month, Blue Crane Route's MM is paid R 939 267 a year and at Kouga the MM gets R 1 280 024 a year.
Grocott's Mail has been unable to establish why the municipal manager's contract has not yet been finalised, and how his remuneration is currently sourced given the absence of this documentation.
Meanwhile the Finance and Administration Evaluation Committee (Fame) tabled a report on Thursday 12 September on an investigation into Naidoo's accommodation.
Naidoo was accommodated in a guest house from the time of his arrival in Grahamstown until the end of last month, at the municipality's expense. The matter was referred to the Mayoral Committee.
Asked about proceedings during the confidential section of the meeting, municipal spokesperson Mncedisi Boma told Grocott's Mail, "We do not discuss confidential items with the media. We are not allowed by the law to do that. That is why it is a confidential item."
Boma said Naidoo's guest house accommodation bill was no longer being footed by the municipality. Asked when Council would finalise Naidoo's contract, Boma said he would speak to the relevant office and respond afterwards.
