Tshwane opposition accuse DA-led coalition of wasteful expenditure after creating R3m a year post

TSHWANE - Opposition parties in Tshwane have accused the governing Democratic Alliance (DA)-led coalition of wasteful expenditure after it created a R3 million a year senior position.

The city council voted on Thursday to approve the creation of a management and support officer, who will assist with easing the workload of the city manager.

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A report tabled before council showed the position comes with a maximum annual package of R3.1 million and an annual cellphone allowance of R21,000.

The Tshwane municipality’s management and support officer will be responsible for handling a cluster of seven departments dealing with legislative and compliance issues.

African National Congress (ANC) councillor Moses Maluleke said considering the financial struggles of the capital city, it should be tightening its belts.

"To add a senior manager to a bloated structure is not helping us at all. We should reject this report because it does not serve our people. Where do you get the three million [rand] when we don’t have money?"

However, DA councillor Anna Erasmus said the position would improve how the municipality functions, which will lead to better financial outcomes.

"This is not a solve-all for the problems in the city, but it will go a long way in ensuring better practices and a more stable and efficient city manager office."

The city will be publicly advertising the new post soon.