Raphael Wolf
COSATU provincial secretary and ANC leader in the city council Tony Ehrenreich has pledged to give the needy half his R20 000 salary as a councillor, a big slice of his R52 000 Cosatu monthly paycheque and R10 000 he received from public speaking.
Ehrenreich said yesterday the money would be administered by “a board of our people who will decide how it would be spent”.
The board members are Joao Jardin, Christina Julies, Denise Simpson and Brian Mphanlele. They would allocate him the equivalent of an artisan’s salary (between R12 000 and R15 000) from his combined council and Cosatu salaries, said Ehrenreich.
“I believe the biggest problem in South Africa is the huge level of inequality that exists between the haves and the have nots, which was earlier represented between the white and black population groups. The obscenity and extravagance of the wealthy is a real stumbling block to nation building.
“A key requirement for progress in our country will be to bring about greater levels of equality,” Ehrenreich said, adding that his gesture was neither a gimmick nor a publicity stunt.
He challenged highly paid office-bearers in organisations, government and business to share their income with poorer sections of the communities.
Board members would also be given R1 000 a month, said Ehrenreich, who also gave away his bakkie to an unemployed woman and her three children he had sheltered when their shack burnt down in Joe Slovo informal settlement in 2005.
Ehrenreich would also allow a holiday house owned by himself and his sister to be hired out to Cosatu workers at a discount
“He will also put his motorbike up for sale. Part of the proceeds will go towards enhancing the benefit to the projects of workers,” said Jardin.