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The City refutes the notion that new salary hikes are being considered for senior staff members during COVID-19. In fact, the City is currently considering the salary package of all senior staff members, general salary obligations, and office-holders given the dramatic realities of COVID-19. Indeed, no salary determinations have been made for any staff member in the City. Any such considerations would require consultation and further announcements will be made on this in due course.

The information the Weekend Argus has relied on for this story is based on information sourced weeks ago from the City based on a draft budget formed before the COVID19 disaster. It does not take into account the fact that it is not only relying on the information of a draft budget that is being dramatically reprioritised in the light of COVID-19 but also the fact that the positions concerned were the subject of appointments/changes during the course of 2019 and do not reflect a salary increase in 2020. Claims to the contrary are false.

The City’s Draft Budget was drawn up prior to the COVID-19 disaster declaration in South Africa. The enquiry on which this article is based was sent to the City almost two weeks ago. Much has happened in the past two weeks, including an entire reprioritisation of the City’s budget in an effort to provide assistance to residents and ratepayers and to pay for the enormous additional expenditure necessary to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, including helping the most vulnerable and enhancing the City’s healthcare system.

The impact of COVID-19 on our local and macro economy, is of course, shifting our financial planning and obligations. It must also be noted in accordance with the original Budget 2020/21 proposal, all rates and tariff increases were proposed in line with inflation bearing in mind affordability for our residents and ratepayers. Income from rates and tariffs is used to fund the provision of essential basic services. Without this income, the municipality would cease to be able to provide essential services, especially during this pandemic. We know the pandemic is severely affecting some residents and ratepayers and relief is being offered.

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