The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government is seeking about R1.1 billion from Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to pay the salaries of thousands of izinduna‚ or headmen‚ who hold sway in many parts of rural and tribal authorities.
The province has 2‚039 headmen — out of the country’s more than 5‚000 izinduna – and late last year they marched into the KZN Legislature in Pietermaritzburg‚ threatening to go on strike and disrupt preparations for the recent local government elections unless their salaries were increased to about R8‚000 a month and they received back pay from 2006.
Earlier this year President Jacob Zuma met with KwaZulu-Natal izinduna to discuss remunerations and recognition for the work they do. He promised to pay them their salaries in full.
After the meeting‚ the Presidency said in a statement: “Izinduna had raised concerns about the proclamation determining the salaries of Izinduna which was approved by the president following recommendations by the Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers‚ as they had not been paid by the provincial government.”
Zuma urged the izinduna not to disrupt the elections and said he had earlier standardised the salaries of the country’s more than 5‚000 headmen to pay each a flat annual salary of R84‚125.
Now it is payback time and the izinduna have been pestering the provincial government to pay them.
Gordhan met the KZN cabinet in a marathon meeting on Tuesday to plead with it to tighten its spending and inform it to expect cuts in budget allocation during next week’s mid-term budget speech.
KZN Premier Willies Mchunu told Gordhan about the commitment made by Zuma to izinduna‚ saying as it was the province that was responsible for the remuneration and upkeep of the Zulu king‚ chiefs and headmen‚ the Treasury should make this money available to it.
Mchunu said the province was seeking about R1.1 billion to be able to pay the izinduna.
“We also drew to the attention of the minister budget pressures presented by the payment to Izinduna amounting to millions of rands excluding the salary backpay estimated to be over R1 billion.
“In addition‚ the provincial fiscus has to find R252.328m in 2017/18‚ R266.206m in 2018/19 and R280.847m in 2019/20 to remunerate Izinduna. We are heartened by the fact that the minister is aware of this important matter of Izinduna‚” Mchunu said.
Bhekinkosi Mkhize‚ one of the izinduna who met Zuma earlier this year‚ said the izinduna had rendered valuable services to their communities and that they deserved salaries like ordinary civil servants.
“The responsibilities that are placed over our shoulders are huge. We carry more responsibility than most civil servants and councillors who are paid exorbitant salaries‚” he said.
TMG Digital/BusinessLive
KZN government wants Gordhan to foot R1.1bn salary bill for headmen
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government is seeking about R1.1 billion from Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to pay the salaries of thousands of izinduna‚ or headmen‚ who hold sway in many parts of rural and tribal authorities.
The province has 2‚039 headmen — out of the country’s more than 5‚000 izinduna – and late last year they marched into the KZN Legislature in Pietermaritzburg‚ threatening to go on strike and disrupt preparations for the recent local government elections unless their salaries were increased to about R8‚000 a month and they received back pay from 2006.
Earlier this year President Jacob Zuma met with KwaZulu-Natal izinduna to discuss remunerations and recognition for the work they do. He promised to pay them their salaries in full.
After the meeting‚ the Presidency said in a statement: “Izinduna had raised concerns about the proclamation determining the salaries of Izinduna which was approved by the president following recommendations by the Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers‚ as they had not been paid by the provincial government.”
Zuma urged the izinduna not to disrupt the elections and said he had earlier standardised the salaries of the country’s more than 5‚000 headmen to pay each a flat annual salary of R84‚125.
Now it is payback time and the izinduna have been pestering the provincial government to pay them.
Gordhan met the KZN cabinet in a marathon meeting on Tuesday to plead with it to tighten its spending and inform it to expect cuts in budget allocation during next week’s mid-term budget speech.
KZN Premier Willies Mchunu told Gordhan about the commitment made by Zuma to izinduna‚ saying as it was the province that was responsible for the remuneration and upkeep of the Zulu king‚ chiefs and headmen‚ the Treasury should make this money available to it.
Mchunu said the province was seeking about R1.1 billion to be able to pay the izinduna.
“We also drew to the attention of the minister budget pressures presented by the payment to Izinduna amounting to millions of rands excluding the salary backpay estimated to be over R1 billion.
“In addition‚ the provincial fiscus has to find R252.328m in 2017/18‚ R266.206m in 2018/19 and R280.847m in 2019/20 to remunerate Izinduna. We are heartened by the fact that the minister is aware of this important matter of Izinduna‚” Mchunu said.
Bhekinkosi Mkhize‚ one of the izinduna who met Zuma earlier this year‚ said the izinduna had rendered valuable services to their communities and that they deserved salaries like ordinary civil servants.
“The responsibilities that are placed over our shoulders are huge. We carry more responsibility than most civil servants and councillors who are paid exorbitant salaries‚” he said.
TMG Digital/BusinessLive
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