According to Seraj Johaar, Executive Director of Corporate and Planning Services at Drakenstein Municipality, Executive Mayor Conrad Poole’s
total remuneration package for 2023 is R1 119 386, which amounts to just over R93 282 per month before deductions, while Deputy Mayor Gert Combrink’s is R895 508 for 2023.
Each Mayco member will earn R839 539 for 2023, while a part-time ordinary councillor will walk away with a total remuneration package of R354 244 for 2023, or roughly R29 500 a month before deductions.
Besides the hefty remuneration packages, these civil servants also walk away with benefits.
“This [the benefits] amount is R47 004 per year and includes a mobile phone and data allowance,” Johaar said. “No other allowances are made. All councillors receive a laptop, which remains the property of Drakenstein Municipality.”
He said Drakenstein Municipality’s lowest annual salary is R127 467 per year, while the total amount paid in salaries, encompassing every employee, amounts to R749 944 000 for the 2022-’23 financial year. This excludes councillors’ renumeration, Johaar said.
Furthermore, 29,1% of the municipality’s total income for the 2022-’23 financial year is used to pay salaries.
“The national Treasury norm guides municipalities to keep their salary cost below 40%,” Johaar explained. “Drakenstein Municipality’s percentage of 29,1% is significantly lower than this upper limit.”
Furthermore, year-on-year salary increases are determined nationally and vary from year to year. Currently there are 1 757 employees at Drakenstein Municipality, including seasonal workers, 14 Mayco members and 52 part-time ordinary councillors.
