In June 2015 the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) proposed that all ward councillors be paid R1.3 million per annum (R108 333.33 per month). This is in the region of the amount  paid to members of parliament whose current salaries are pegged at R 1.03 million per annum (R85 833 per month). The reasoning behind this absurd proposal was that these individuals’ work is similar to that of MPs. As has become clear for all to see, latter’s job descriptions and performances do not even remotely justify the enormous salaries they get paid.  This is indeed where government’s cost-cutting measures must start. As part of an exercise in streamlining the municipal demarcation system, the number of municipalities in South Africa is also to be reduced from 278 to 267. Hence the new salary scales after the upcoming municipal elections will reflect the following mindboggling figures: depending on the size of a municipality, full time councillors will earn between R457 210 (R38 100.83 per month) and R832 197 (R69 349.75) annually, before deductions. The amounts for part time councillors will be between R 195 712 (R16 309.33) and R416 098 (R34 674.83). The salary of the state president amounts to a total package of R3.1 million p/a; one he clearly does not deserve. The head of SALGA, Xolile George earns R3.8 million p/a. Premiers’ annual net salaries stand at just over R2 million. Those of members of provincial legislatures are R968 000 per annum. Mayors earn R102 500 per month.

Clearly the concept of democracy, of rule by the people, for the people, of the people means absolutely nothing for these political scoundrels. These figures are comparable with the salaries of big business owners who live off the sweat and labour of the working class and peasantry. Worse still, these leeches defend and justify their greed and money-grabbing and in fact are demanding that they be paid more! The state of many municipalities as reflected in the most recent audit of municipal finances (for 2014 -2015)  adds to this glorious political mess. Austerity obviously does not apply to these political vultures.

 Statistics South Africa (StatSA)   produced the following figures (March 2016) dealing with the average monthly earnings of South Africans in the formal sector of the economy. The amounts range from R17 517 to R210 204 per annum. This translates roughly into a lowly R1 459.75 to R17 517 per month. In addition, the percentage of social grants recipients rose from 12.7% in 2003 to 30.1% in 2015.

 These facts raise all manner of questions regarding our public representatives; especially those at local government level. Since the 2006 LGEs, the Operation Khanyisa Movement (OKM) in Gauteng started using a system of recall and sharing of the income of their councillors for the benefit of the communities concerned as well as the councillor. This is a genuine example of how this deeply corrupt system can be exposed and used to claim back financial resources that rightfully belong in the communities concerned. What has however become more common is for political charlatans to use a party political ticket to self-enrichment via local government. They wish to emulate their leaders who have been feathering their nests for years on end. They battle one another in the name of internal party contestation and sectarian rivalry but conveniently ignore the bigger picture of fighting for a progressive alternative system of governance.  All they achieve in the end is to ignore  the interests of the communities they should  be representing. Some – with or without progressive political programmes – opt to stand as independents who mostly end up protecting  their local turf instead of linking up to progressive national electoral initiatives.

Local government representatives must be held to a code of conduct by those in whose name they occupy office. The present system, beset by careerism, corruption, financial mismanagement and an ever deepening legitimacy crisis is one in which many elected individuals end up representing no-one but themselves. Holding elected representatives to account will mean fighting for and demanding a different system of representation; one based on local assemblies being represented in a national Constituent Assembly tasked with the duty to draw up a new constitution.