The contentious issue of salaries paid to izinduna or headmen again cast a shadow over MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube when she delivered her co-operative governance and traditional affairs budget at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday.
Provincial government departments’ budgets are to be cut to foot the salary bill for izinduna.
Cogta will pay half of the bill‚ while the other half will be “proportionately” cut from the other departments.
The salary bill will be R252.3 million in this financial year before the contributions from other departments.
Opposition members were fuming after she revealed that about R440‚852‚000 of the department’s R1‚585‚226‚000 was going to be used for izinduna salaries.
The R440‚852‚000 is part of the traditional affairs R561 million allocation.
The DA’s Hlanganani Gumbi said it was despicable that other departments had to divert service delivery funds to fund izinduna.
“The department of health alone had to divert R100 million while the department of education is funding izinduna remuneration with R200 million. Why is this money being taken from service delivery departments?” said Gumbi.
Gumbi said his party was not oblivious of the societal role played by traditional leadership and izinduna but was against the costs that came with it.
The IFP’s Phumzile Buthelezi also added her voice‚ questioning why Cogta was not properly managing the issue of paying izinduna.
She said this was like robbing Paul to pay Peter.
In her speech Dube-Ncube said to date a total of 2‚998 izinduna were being paid.
“In total they should be 3‚153‚ however in a few areas there are administrative matters that are being resolved‚” she said.
She however admitted that the matter had had a major impact on the financial position of the department.
Nonzwakazi Swartbooi-Ntombela‚ chairperson of the Cogta portfolio committee‚ also conceded that 50% of the department’s budget has had to be reprioritised to pay izinduna.
Izinduna‚ who still hold sway in some rural areas‚ have been pushing the provincial government to pay them since February 2014 when President Jacob Zuma signed a proclamation that said izinduna should be remunerated.
During her budget speech in March finance MEC Belinda Scott said attempts to get the national government to pay for this “unfunded mandate” had failed‚ leaving KZN to foot the bill.
TMG Digital understands that each induna takes home R7‚000 a month.
A team led by Premier Willies Mchunu is looking at the issue of back-pay from 2014.
Anger over millions to be paid in salaries to KZN izinduna
The contentious issue of salaries paid to izinduna or headmen again cast a shadow over MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube when she delivered her co-operative governance and traditional affairs budget at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday.
Provincial government departments’ budgets are to be cut to foot the salary bill for izinduna.
Cogta will pay half of the bill‚ while the other half will be “proportionately” cut from the other departments.
The salary bill will be R252.3 million in this financial year before the contributions from other departments.
Opposition members were fuming after she revealed that about R440‚852‚000 of the department’s R1‚585‚226‚000 was going to be used for izinduna salaries.
The R440‚852‚000 is part of the traditional affairs R561 million allocation.
The DA’s Hlanganani Gumbi said it was despicable that other departments had to divert service delivery funds to fund izinduna.
“The department of health alone had to divert R100 million while the department of education is funding izinduna remuneration with R200 million. Why is this money being taken from service delivery departments?” said Gumbi.
Gumbi said his party was not oblivious of the societal role played by traditional leadership and izinduna but was against the costs that came with it.
The IFP’s Phumzile Buthelezi also added her voice‚ questioning why Cogta was not properly managing the issue of paying izinduna.
She said this was like robbing Paul to pay Peter.
In her speech Dube-Ncube said to date a total of 2‚998 izinduna were being paid.
“In total they should be 3‚153‚ however in a few areas there are administrative matters that are being resolved‚” she said.
She however admitted that the matter had had a major impact on the financial position of the department.
Nonzwakazi Swartbooi-Ntombela‚ chairperson of the Cogta portfolio committee‚ also conceded that 50% of the department’s budget has had to be reprioritised to pay izinduna.
Izinduna‚ who still hold sway in some rural areas‚ have been pushing the provincial government to pay them since February 2014 when President Jacob Zuma signed a proclamation that said izinduna should be remunerated.
During her budget speech in March finance MEC Belinda Scott said attempts to get the national government to pay for this “unfunded mandate” had failed‚ leaving KZN to foot the bill.
TMG Digital understands that each induna takes home R7‚000 a month.
A team led by Premier Willies Mchunu is looking at the issue of back-pay from 2014.
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