– Proposal is simplistic and ignores realties of municipal finance and governance.
– Move would divert scarce funds away from service delivery and worsen rural community conditions.
– DA challenges KZN Premier to rein-in errant MEC in.
Please note Tim Brauteseth, MPL sound bite in English
The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) notes COGTA MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi’s call for the standardised remuneration of councillors across municipalities.
While the MEC’s sentiment of fairness is understandable, the proposal is simplistic and ignores the realities of municipal finance and governance.
It is misleading to equate rural municipalities with metros purely on the basis of councillors’ duties. Councillors in smaller municipalities operate within vastly different contexts: budgets are smaller, populations are fewer, and resources are constrained. To impose metro‑level salaries across all municipalities would divert scarce funds away from service delivery, worsening the conditions rural communities face.
More troubling is the question of mandate. Why is the MEC of KZN COGTA putting forward proposals that fall squarely under the authority of national COGTA Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa – who is also the leader of the IFP? Does the Minister know what his MEC is doing? This raises serious concerns about coherence within the IFP and whether this initiative is coordinated or simply a provincial stunt. Given that MEC Buthelezi reports directly to the KZN Premier, the DA challenges Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli to rein his errant MEC in.
The fiscal reality also cannot be ignored. Councillor salaries are funded through the Municipal Equitable Share (MES), a direct transfer from National Treasury. Any change to remuneration structures would have to be driven nationally, not provincially.
MEC Buthelezi’s proposal is therefore not something KZN COGTA could effect and smacks of electioneering ahead of the November 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE) rather than a serious policy intervention.
The DA believes that councillors must be supported to deliver services effectively while reforms must be grounded in fiscal responsibility, national coherence, and service delivery priorities. Communities deserve solutions that strengthen governance and accountability, not populist promises that municipalities cannot afford.