Half a million for municipal post makes council ‘a joke’

By Heidi Bantam

A ROW has erupted in the small town of Somerset East over the salary awarded by the local council to their new municipal manager who earns almost half a million rand a year.

Now a group of Somerset East businessmen have labelled their town council a “joke”, accusing it of gross financial mismanagement.

A group spokesman, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said the town could not afford the salary approved on Wednesday for newly appointed municipal manager Darren Claassen.

Mr Claassen – believed to be in his early 30s – arrived in Somerset East in September last year and hails from the Western Cape, where he was the Breede Valley municipality’s assistant manager.

The businessman said: “They gave him an outrageous salary that this town simply cannot afford.”

Apparently Mr Claassen will receive R450 000 a year for what is believed to be his first municipal manager appointment.

The businessman said the town’s former municipal manager – who had 20 years experience – earned only R258 000 a year.

He said an additional expense – about R600 000 – was incurred when the council appointed a consultant to draw up a business plan for the town.

“For a salary of R450 000, (the municipal manager) should be doing that. It’s an absolute joke,” the businessman said.

Somerset East mayor Mzwandile Mjadu said the post involved overseeing the entire Blue Crane Route municipality, which includes Cookhouse, Pearston and several rural towns.

Somerset East, Cookhouse and Pearston had their own municipal managers until Mr Claassen took up the post, he said.

“His salary is less than the total amount paid to all three for a year.

“Facts have also been put before council that convinced us that ever since the new municipal manager came on board, things have started to shape up,” he said.

“There has been an improvement that was never seen before,” said Mr Mjadu.

He also said the post included a five-year contract and the salary served as security should Mr Claassen’s contract not be renewed.

The mayor and municipal manager will present their case to residents at a meeting organised by DA councillor Ken Brown on Monday evening. Mr Brown declined to comment until after the meeting.

The spokesman for the business group said they feared the salary controversy would “have farreaching consequences in a town where there is an 80 per cent unemployment rate”.

He said the town already had a R330 000 budget deficit and owed the Auditor-General R600 000.

“It’s a simple fact that your expenditure cannot exceed your income. It’s a recipe for bankruptcy.”