After some confusion regarding his benefits following his suspension as Nelson Mandela Bay deputy mayor in December, Gary van Niekerk’s full salary has been reinstated.
However, he remains suspended.
A leaked communication revealed that Van Niekerk was seemingly paid only R9,400 in January.
That was because he had been suspended on December 12 but still received a deputy mayor’s remuneration as municipal salaries for December had already been processed.
The “extra money” he received in December was deducted from January’s payslip.
A deputy mayor in the metro receives R78,000 a month after deductions.
Van Niekerk was reimbursed after writing to co-operative governance MEC Zolile Williams.
In a message to Williams in January, Van Niekerk accused speaker Eugene Johnson of being “busy with her shenanigans” when his salary was reduced.
Van Niekerk wrote there was no resolution taken in council to reduce his salary or remove his perks associated with being a deputy mayor.
Some of the perks include having a driver and bodyguard.
On Monday, Johnson said Van Niekerk would receive his full salary on Tuesday.
“We rectified the issue of the salary, not because the MEC said so,” Johnson said.
“After the December 12 council meeting, my office wrote to corporate services and the municipal manager’s office informing the two of the resolution to suspend councillor Van Niekerk as deputy mayor.
“All that happened was there was a misinterpretation and it was fixed.
“The council resolution still stands.
“The resolution stands until such a time as the council decides to revisit it or until we get a written letter from the MEC telling us our decision in December was wrong.”
Van Niekerk is also in and out of court on charges related to cyber fraud and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) for allegedly racking up legal bills totalling R575,000 in 2022 without authorisation.
The state alleges he appointed legal firm Boqwana Burns Incorporated for various legal matters as the speaker of the council in 2022 when he had already vacated the position.
He was suspended for the same allegations.
A member of the coalition, who declined to the named, said the city had written two letters to Williams regarding Van Niekerk which had not yet garnered a response.
“Unfortunately as the GLU [government of local unity], there were different interpretations about the suspension and what it meant in terms of Gary.
“Does he lose his benefits or does he lose the office?” the insider said.
“It was never our intention for us that he loses his remuneration but all we wanted was for him not to represent the city. But that’s been rectified.”
He said Van Niekerk had allegedly told Williams that he was being treated unfairly.
“Williams doesn’t seem to be taking the issue in Nelson Mandela Bay seriously or is trying to manage coalition politics,” the insider said.
“But if there’s anything we’ve done wrong, the MEC will write to us.”
A brief written by the director in the office of the speaker, Dumisani Mbebe, stated that after December 12, Van Niekerk ceased to be a deputy mayor and would receive a normal councillor’s salary of R42,000.
“Ordinarily, if the payday in December 2024 was December 25 2024, the necessary salary adjustments could have taken place.
“What this means is Van Niekerk was meant to be paid 11 days with the deputy executive mayor salary and 19 days of a PR councillor salary.
“The reason his salary has dropped to R9,400 is because he was paid in the salary grade of deputy executive mayor.
“While the salary shock is understood, the administration has to perform the due diligence and address the discrepancy that could not be addressed caused by an early salary payday.”
However, a January 29 memo by Mbebe instructed that Van Niekerk receive his salary as a deputy mayor.
On Monday, Van Niekerk said he had since been paid the outstanding amount that had been deducted in January.
“I queried the deductions in January but no-one could give me a response as to why.”
Asked if his benefits had been reinstated, Van Niekerk said they had not.
The Herald
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