LETTER: Investigate Salga

Thank you for your article on human settlements, water & sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s battles with the SA Local Government Association (Salga) over water payment deductions (“Lindiwe Sisulu’s proposal to top-slice municipal grants slammed”, November 24). For once I agree with Sisulu. I’ve been suspicious of Salga ever since I learnt that our 11 city executives in Cape Town received a 30% salary increase in 2017 and that most of them now get an astonishing R250,000 per month each, to meet Salga salary guidelines.

I believe our municipal manager is on R300,000 per month thanks to Salga. Cape Town is a city that can almost afford those salaries, even if they are totally morally unconscionable. But what about all the other dysfunctional municipalities across SA? Just how much are they paying their executives to meet Salga guidelines?

Have we ever seen Salga criticising mayors and municipal public servants who splurge on fancy cars? Does it ever publicly distribute its astronomical salary guidelines for all the people of SA to see? Please don’t be seduced by good-looking or well-spoken Salga officials. Make no mistake, the association is part of the problem with service delivery in SA. It should be investigated further.

Mark Jackson
Via e-mail

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