LOUIS TRICHARDT – The Makhado Municipality appointed a further two directors in permanent positions during their last monthly Council meeting for 2002.

The two directors, Mr Vic Viljoen and Dan Masengana were appointed as Director Strategic Planning and Director Finance and Economic Development respectively. Up until his appointed, Mr Viljoen was Acting Director Strategic Development, while Mr Dopper Kruger was Acting Director Finance and Economic Development.

According to Council, the appointment of the two directors will bring confidence and hope regarding service delivery due to broader administration. Council added that it is quite convinced and happy about the services of all directors who had so far accelerated the programme of service delivery to a large extent.

Council's appointment of five full time directors directly accountable to the Municipal Manager earlier this year, were met with controversy in regard to the directors' lucrative salary scales. These directors were appointed at a minimum salary scale of R328 289 per annum. With his appointment, Mr Viljoen will also qualify for this salary, while Mr Masengana will qualify for a minimum salary scale of R347 320 per annum.

It would seem that "too much" is never enough. In November an item served before Council regarding an increase in the salary scale of the directors to the maximum notch of R463 467 per annum, or alternatively the medium notch of R386 222 per annum. The medium notch was, however, not acceptable to Council following a presentation by a private chartered accounting firm in September. The firm calculated that the present "minimum salaries granted by Council to those posts were not sufficient to be competitive in the market". The firm calculated that after deductions, the directors would take home a mere R7 353 per month. This figure did not cater for travelling expenses, vehicle loan instalment, telephone allowance, entertainment allowance and an annual 13th cheque. At the maximum salary notch, these directors will take home R12 567 per month after deductions. In regard to the medium salary scale, the firm found that it "would not offer much relief in comparison with the minimum". After this presentation Council was to recommend that the increase in the directors' salaries be approved and that the resultant additional expenditure be financed from the savings in the Salary Bill for the 2002/3 Financial Budget. In the end it was, however, decided that there should be no salary review for directors in the current financial year.