City managers and chief financial officers in South Africa’s metros are earning millions in salaries, bonuses and car allowances each year — with total packages rivalling the private sector — as residents watch cities crumble before their eyes.
Despite their impressive financial skills and qualifications, top metro managers are presiding over declining audit outcomes, as political interference drives the appointment of party-aligned officials and the division of resources to benefit coalition partners and keep them in power.
At least 16 top executives across the eight metros share more than R44m, even though only half achieved clean audits, according to auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke’s latest report on the metros’ 2023/24 financial statements.
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