Cape Town - Former councillors who did not make the cut IN the August 3 municipal polls will not be leaving their jobs empty-handed.
The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has confirmed a "golden handshake" for councillors who got the chop and those retiring across the country.
The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has set aside R100 million for the payouts.
Salga's Western Cape provincial executive officer Khalil Mullagie said these would be calculated on a formula which included the number of terms or years councillors had served, and their last basic salary.
Mullagie said it was too soon to say how much this would amount to in the Western Cape, but the numbers would become clearer later this week. After the 2011 elections, councillors who were not re-elected to office received three months' salary in compensation.
An ordinary councillor in the city council earns an annual salary including benefits of more than R800 000.
Mullagie said new councillors would be undergoing an accredited five-day induction programme by Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. They will also be offered career development throughout their term. Former and retired councillors would be facilitating the process.
* Cape Town city manager Achmat Ebrahim said on Sunday that new councillors have their work cut out for them.
"Every five years, we need to up our game," he said ahead of Monday's registration of 231 councillors - many of them new to the business of council.
"Council is very vibrant, very busy and councillors will have to work very hard. They will be integral as we take forward our business of service delivery which needs to be enhanced and improved all the time."
Ebrahim will be meeting new councillors for the first time on Monday when the registration process begins.
Their official inauguration is slated for Thursday.
Party caucuses are expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss the nomination of chief office bearers in preparation for the inauguration meeting.
In the case of the DA, these will confirm the nominations for the positions of mayor, deputy mayor, speaker and chief whip.
With Patricia de Lille as mayor-elect, it is widely expected the positions of deputy mayor and speaker held by Ian Neilson and Dirk Smit, respectively, for the past 10 years, will remain unchanged.
Sources said the DA's metro chairman Sean August could be the party's next chief whip following the retirement of Anthea Serritslev.
The ANC, led by Xolani Sotashe, is also expected to announce its chief whip.
An announcement by De Lille of her new mayoral committee - which is also expected to remain largely unchanged - could follow within the next week.
The new councillors will also immediately be faced with approving the council's adjustments budget to account for unspent funds and roll-overs from the 2015/16 budget.
By next month, new sub-councils, portfolio and ward committees are expected to have been established.
Cape Argus