ANC political appointees to cost ELM an extra R2,5 million per year
In the face of the R480 million currently owed to Rand Water Board, Sedibeng Ster was on Tuesday morning informed that the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Executive Mayor, Jacob Khawe plans to make massive changes to his office.
Lerato Serero
SEDIBENG. – Information received by Ster/Vaalweekblad states that the current organisational structure costs ELM R8,6 million per annum, while Khawe’s new structure will cost R10 million per annum. Added to this, the mayor is said to have indicated that he plans to stray away from set employment procedures in appointing five political staff members.
The five new political appointments will apparently cost the municipality an extra R2,5 million per year.
Sedibeng Ster has also been informed that the intent to hire five additional appointees into his office came as little surprise and that it was therefore predictable that Khawe moved to increase the refuse removal tariff by 8%. At a recent Council meeting, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is said to have voted against Khawe’s effort to have the five new posts created for the political appointees in his office. “This comes as Emfuleni faces yet another 20% reduction in water pressure due to non-payment of over R480 million it owes Rand Water. In light of this debt, it seems obvious that the municipality cannot afford to employ more political staff. I will write to the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Gauteng, Paul Mashatile, to request that he intervene to block these irrational appointments,” DA’s Daddy Mollo said, adding that the DA will continue holding the ANC in Emfuleni to account: “It’s time the people are put first and are given the services that they deserve.”
At the time of going to print Sedibeng Ster had sent an enquiry on the appointments to Khawe’s spokesperson, Lebo Mofokeng, and is awaiting a response.
