The City of Johannesburg has sparked public outcry by approving salary increases for councillors and executives, despite ongoing financial challenges, water shortages, and mounting frustration over service delivery in the city.
In an extraordinary council meeting on Wednesday, 146 councillors voted in favor of the hikes, with 33 voting against and 70 abstaining.
The approved increases follow regulations gazetted by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa in October, allowing for a 3% salary adjustment across all municipal positions.
The salary hikes will cost the city an additional R4.2 million annually, a move critics say undermines the city’s financial stability.
This adjustment raises Mayor Dada Morero’s annual salary to R1,585,052 from R1,501,351. The Council Speaker’s remuneration increases to R1,280,117 from R1,212,520, while the chair of oversight committees now earns R1,170,478, up from R1,108,670.
Full-time councillors’ salaries rise to R1,205,851 from R1,142,175, and part-time councillors will receive R593,610, an increase from R562,265.
Councillors opposing the increase, including members of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+), argued that the hikes are tone-deaf amid widespread power cuts, water restrictions, and decaying infrastructure.
They warned that the decision could worsen the public’s negative perception of the city’s leadership.
However, the ANC-led coalition, supported by parties like ActionSA and the Patriotic Alliance (PA), defended the move, describing the additional expenditure as negligible.
They argued that Johannesburg, a grade 6 municipality, is entitled to the top salary levels within municipal governance structures.
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