Durban - The eThekwini Municipality forked out R45.6 million on bodyguards to protect ward councillors in the past year.
Of the 26 councillors under guard, 21 are from the ANC, four the NFP and one the IFP.
There are 104 ward councillors in the municipality.
The bill for protecting councillors rose from about R18 million in 2012 to R36m last year.
The latest figure excludes the cost of bodyguards for the executive council – which includes the mayor, James Nxumalo, his deputy, Nomvuzo Shabalala, and speaker Logie Naidoo.
Naidoo, whose office deals with councillor safety, said: “We are looking at ways to cut the cost of protection services. But the protection of councillors cannot be compromised.”
He said the upward trend was due to a growing number of councillors who “feared for their lives”.
Councillors are offered protection services after the SAPS Crime Intelligence Unit and in some cases the National Intelligence Agency have done a threat analyses.
On Monday a KwaDukuza ward councillor, Jetro Banda, was attacked by angry residents, who wanted him to step down. They torched his car and his RDP house. He was the latest councillor to face the wrath of residents.
Among those under guard is the ANC chairwoman in the eThekwini region, Zandile Gumede. She had bodyguards before she was elected last December.
Ward 77 councillor Mathombi Mnyando in uMlazi is also protected.
Councillor Richard Mzobe applied for protection after residents in ward 76, which includes Glebelands Hostel in uMlazi, went on the rampage and called for him to step down as councillor.
Opposition parties said the city was spending too much on security services.
DA leader Zwakele Mncwango said the party had urged the city to establish an internal VIP unit as this would cut the cost of looking after councillors.
He said bodyguards would also be better paid and would get benefits if they were “moved in-house”.
Sunday Tribune