Durban - KwaZulu-Natal izinduna (headmen) have rejected a pay agreement reached by their representatives and Premier Senzo Mchunu, calling it a “joke” and a “trick” to stop them from marching and disrupting next year’s local government elections.
The headmen on Thursday discussed the agreed payment of a R1 300 stipend to all izinduna for the first time.
The agreement was reached with Mchunu and representatives of the headmen on July 28 at a meeting in Mayville, Durban. It was an interim solution while discussions regarding the R84 000 annual salary promised to izinduna continued.
Vusi Mthethwa, spokesman for Ubumbano Lwezinduna, an organisation representing headmen in the province, said they rejected the interim agreement because there were no minutes taken at the meeting nor a signed agreement.
He said izinduna feared that after next year’s elections the government would not treat the issue with urgency, and that there were possibilities of re-deployments which would make it more difficult for them to achieve their goal.
The government would need about R171 million to cover the salaries of the more than 2 000 headmen in the province annually after President Jacob Zuma decided in June, to standardise salaries for izinduna, with a flat rate of R84 125 a year, as recommended by the Commission for Remuneration of Public Office Bearers.
In the past, only izinduna serving in traditional councils received the allowance of R1 300 a month.
“Izinduna rejected the offer, saying it was a ploy by government to stop them from embarking on the march and disrupt next year’s elections.
“We feel that these people are playing politics now. What we did was we sent an e-mail to the premier requesting a meeting in the first week of September where we will table our feelings. The second step will be to take the legal route to try and have the law force government to pay us,” Mthethwa said.
“Third we will embark on a march to the premier’s office and, lastly, the local government elections will be disrupted if the authority fails to fulfil the president’s proclamation,” he said.
Chairman of the provincial House of Traditional Leaders, Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, said they were not aware of Thursday’s meeting, so he could not comment. “Although their demand is valid, given that it is born of the president’s proclamation, it is however advisable that processes are followed in trying to resolve the impasse,” Chiliza said.
Provincial government spokesman, Thami Ngwenya, said he was not aware of the izinduna meeting.
Daily News