The technically bankrupt Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape is preparing to "cut the fat" by getting rid of redundant top earners.

To achieve this‚ the cash-strapped municipality has set aside R133-million‚ which from next year it will offer as "mutual separation packages" to top managers.

These are level 14-20 managers who earn between R700‚000 to R1.6-million per annum.

This was revealed by ADM municipal manager Thandekile Mnyiba in an exclusive interview with the Dispatch Weekend Edition.

Mnyimba wants to decrease the R745-million per year salary bill that has severely compromised service delivery.

"Our current structure is something else: bloated at the top and the people that are supposed to be actually doing the job are not there. We do not have artisans and we wonder why we can’t fix leaking pipes‚" he told the Dispatch newspaper.

Council is expected to approve or reject the plan next month.

According to municipalities.co.za‚ the Amathole District Municipality is a Category C municipality situated in the central part of the Eastern Cape. Tourism attractions located within the district include the Sunshine Coast Route‚ the Wild Coast Route‚ the Amathole Mountain Escape Route and the Friendly N6 Route. Key towns include Alice‚ Hogsback‚ Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay‚ Peddie‚ Stutterheim and Willowvale.

- Read the full story in the Dispatch Weekend Edition.