ETHEKWINI municipality councillors have been left high and dry after their May salaries were halved and their phone cards cancelled
There are 200 councillors under the municipality, half of whom are ward councillors and the other half proportional representation.
The councillors, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were shocked when they went to the ATMs to check their salaries, only to find that their money had been cut by half.
They said municipal authorities should at least have informed them last month that they would not receive their full salaries in May so that they could have budgeted accordingly.
One of them said he was only told about the salary cut after he enquired on payday.
"I was told that they calculated it up to May 18, which was election day," he said.
"They said only those re-elected would be paid the outstanding balance. We don't know on whose instructions they were acting."
EThekwini municipality spokesperson Thabo Mofokeng defended the municipality's move, saying what they did was standard procedure.
"We all know that there was a period of transition since May 18 was election day, meaning that the councillors' term of office came to an end.
"As a municipality we calculated up to that period, and it meant that at the end of the month the councillors could not get their full salaries," Mofokeng said.
Councillors' salaries halved
ETHEKWINI municipality councillors have been left high and dry after their May salaries were halved and their phone cards cancelled
There are 200 councillors under the municipality, half of whom are ward councillors and the other half proportional representation.
The councillors, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were shocked when they went to the ATMs to check their salaries, only to find that their money had been cut by half.
They said municipal authorities should at least have informed them last month that they would not receive their full salaries in May so that they could have budgeted accordingly.
One of them said he was only told about the salary cut after he enquired on payday.
"I was told that they calculated it up to May 18, which was election day," he said.
"They said only those re-elected would be paid the outstanding balance. We don't know on whose instructions they were acting."
EThekwini municipality spokesperson Thabo Mofokeng defended the municipality's move, saying what they did was standard procedure.
"We all know that there was a period of transition since May 18 was election day, meaning that the councillors' term of office came to an end.
"As a municipality we calculated up to that period, and it meant that at the end of the month the councillors could not get their full salaries," Mofokeng said.
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