LOUIS TRICHARDT – The filling of the highly controversial senior posts in the Makhado Municipality was this week finalised in equally controversial fashion behind closed doors.

No particulars about the appointments, which will cost the taxpayers close to an additional R2,5million per year, were available after the closed meeting in which the names of the successful applicants were announced. The newly appointed PRO of the council said on enquiry that information about the appointments, apparently finalised on Tuesday, might be available next week.

According to unofficial information the appointees in these high-ranking posts include a Councillor, who was seated in Council when council adopted the appointments, as well as the Mayor's secretary, who is to be elevated to the post of Director Corporate Services. According to unofficial sources, Mr Wilson Nkuna, Acting Chief Human Resources, who was seriously injured during a violent demonstration over a wage dispute at the Municipal Offices, is to be officially installed in the position of Director Human Resources.

The filling of the controversial posts of managers, directly accountable to the Municipal Manager, was apparently finalised during a closed session at the end of this week's delayed monthly meeting. At the same time an additional post, that of Director Strategic Development (Economic, Marketing, Investment and Tourism) was added to the existing organogram, which apart from the Municipal Manager includes Director Finance and Economic Development, Director of Municipal Secretariat, Corporate Services, Community Services, Human Resources and Technical Services. The individual salary scales, suggested for these senior appointees during a special meeting held on July 2 this year, ranges from R386 222 (Secretariat, Corporate Services, Community Services, Human Recourses and Technical Services) through to R408 612 (Finance and Economic Development) and finally to R559 743 per year for the Municipal Manager. After a provision for 5.5% increase these posts will cost the taxpayers R2 468 410 during the 2002/3 financial year.

These are contractual positions. The creation of these posts in all the existing departments of the municipality caused uproar when it was initially announced. They will be appointed in positions above the present heads of departments, adding massively to the existing unrealistically high municipal salaries budget.

A public outcry is expected when these expenses are incurred in a year, which saw a violent strike over wage negotiations and a serious cutback on provisions for capital and development projects "due to a lack of funds".

The Makhado Municipal Council decided before the strike in June to apply for an exemption of the agreed 8% wage increase, because they had only budgeted for a 5,5% across-the-board increase for the 2002/3 financial year.

SAMWU members then took to the streets on 2 July as part of a nationwide strike, following failed wage negotiations. SAMWU's members' plea for higher wages came amidst these efforts of Council to appoint six full-time highly paid directors. The proposed exorbitant additional expenses angered workers, who reflected their sentiments during the strike in posters displaying slogans like "Phantsi Managers and Councillors Eating Themselves Fat, While We Workers Starve."