/ 1 September 2016

Salary cuts may await Gauteng’s new city managers as Cosatu braces for a ‘purge’

Newly elected Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga says he knows all about hardship because he grew up in the bleak streets of one of Pretoria’s oldest townships.
Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga. (Delwyn Versamy/M&G)

While the Democratic Alliance mulls over the appointment of city managers in the Tshwane and Johannesburg metros, new Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga has promised a review of the municipal manager’s salary package, which currently sits at more than R3-million a year.

But the DA has quashed allegations of ANC-style cadre deployment tactics or that DA membership is a prerequisite for landing a top job.

Gauteng DA leader John Moodey told the Mail & Guardian that the usual recruitment processes will be followed – but candidates who understand and agree with the DA’s philosophy stand a better chance of getting shortlisted.

“Part of the question will be to ascertain whether applicants shortlisted have an idea of what the DA philosophy and vision is for the way forward. We will test whether such individuals are compatible with the strategy, moving forward. It’s not that you need to be DA, but you will need some political savvy,” he said.

Msimanga appointed Lisa Mangcu as acting city manager in Tshwane following the resignation of former municipal manager Jason Ngobeni.

Although Mangcu has served as deputy city manager for more than a decade, it is unlikely that he will occupy the top job permanently as Msimanga remains hopeful that “two candidates with unparalleled experience and qualifications” will apply for the position.

“I’m certainly not going to make a rushed decision. I need someone to turn around the city’s finances. We need to bring some credibility back into how the city is viewed. We won’t necessarily appoint people that are affiliated to us,” the mayor said.

The appointment process begins with the placement of advertisements for the position, followed by interviews. The mayor then recommends a preferred candidate to the city council. Although the process is open to the public, the party admits that it will advise its mayors who to nominate for the positions.

In Johannesburg, speculation remains over whether Herman Mashaba will keep Trevor Fowler on as city manager when his term comes to an end in October.

Fowler has been in office for more than 10 years. After the DA’s victory in the municipality, he was quoted as describing the City of Jo’burg offices as “a graveyard” – referring to widespread uncertainty about whether people would keep their jobs under the new administration.

“There has been no engagement between [Mashaba] and the current city manager in respect of his contract. The process going forward is defined by legislation and a legal process that would ultimately end up in council. The mayor has been very appreciative of Fowler for assisting in the transition between administrations,” Mashaba’s new chief of staff, Michael Beaumont, said.

City manager positions are considered to be among the most lucrative in local government, boasting a fat pay cheque and the power to implement the municipal budget.

In June, the DA described the city manager’s salary in Tshwane as “outrageous and symptomatic of a corrupt ANC government”. Yet now, the party appears to be backtracking, saying a salary cut will be considered – but not at the expense of the “right talent”.

“I would love to pay a market-related salary for the city manager, but that will also come with its own key expectations. If somebody says they are worth this much and they can prove that through their track record and work ethic, we would agree. We would love to attract the right talent and make sure it doesn’t get scooped up by the private sector,” Msimanga said this week.

Mashaba’s team, on the other hand, appears more complacent than their capital-city counterparts, saying that municipal salaries fall under the cooperative governance ministry (Cogta).

“The primary understanding is that Cogta determines salary grading, including that of the municipal manager. If they are entering into a review process, that’s their prerogative. The city can give its comments but it hasn’t been discussed,” Beaumont said.

The review of contractual staff positions within these metros will be one of the DA’s first opportunities to hire people outside its own ranks. Both DA mayors have already demonstrated their willingness to do so, having appointed a host of mayoral committee members from the various parties that entered into a coalition with them.

But Cosatu says that it is preparing for a “purge”. “We expect the DA to unleash a war against workers and purge many of them from municipalities they won,” said Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali.

Meanwhile, the DA denies breaking its promise to scrap unpopular government initiatives such as the e-tolling system in Gauteng.

“The DA is opposed to the present taxation – we are not opposed to the user-pay philosophy,” Moodey said.

“The present system of collection is uncalled for and the DA is saying the people must decide if they want to pay. Personally, I haven’t paid. I won’t take out an e-tag and I’m waiting for my day in court, to query all the inefficiencies in the system. I oppose this unjust law as seriously as I opposed the unjust apartheid laws.”