By Thapelo Molefe
The Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) has rejected reports that its chief executive officer, Mduduzi Musawakhe “Musah” Makhunga, earns R5.5 million a year.
Instead, it said, the figure quoted in media reports refers to the total employee salary budget allocated to the CEO’s office and not his personal salary package.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the JPC said Makhunga’s approved total cost-to-company package is approximately R3.5 million per annum and is aligned with governance frameworks and executive salary scales within the City of Johannesburg environment.
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“The CEO’s salary is nowhere near the R5.5-million reported in the media. The figure is what is budgeted for employee salaries in the office of the CEO,” the entity said.
It said executive remuneration is determined through approved remuneration frameworks, benchmarking principles, governance prescripts and regulatory processes applicable to municipal entities and public institutions.
The clarification follows widespread public scrutiny over proposed executive salary increases at City of Johannesburg entities contained in the metro’s draft 2026/27 budget.
News24 and Our City News reported earlier this month that the draft budget reflected a proposed increase in Makhunga’s remuneration package from about R3.3 million to R5.49 million, representing one of the largest proposed increases among the city’s municipal entities.
The reports also highlighted rising executive remuneration across the city’s entities, with average executive pay said to have increased by about 26% since 2022, exceeding inflation and public-sector salary guidelines.
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Democratic Alliance caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku has called on National Treasury to assess the affordability, legality and compliance of executive salaries, board remuneration and governance practices across Johannesburg’s municipal entities.
In a letter to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Kayser-Echeozonjoku raised concerns about multimillion-rand executive salaries while residents continue to face electricity outages, water shortages, potholes and deteriorating infrastructure.
The DA also questioned the affordability and legal compliance of remuneration structures at municipal entities, saying several executives appeared to earn above the upper limits prescribed for senior managers in national government guidelines.
The debate over executive pay comes after mounting concerns about the City of Johannesburg’s finances. Godongwana recently met Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero over the metro’s financial position after previously warning about what he described as an “illegal” R10.3 billion wage agreement concluded with the South African Municipal Workers’ Union.
Godongwana has warned that the city is under severe financial strain, with creditors increasing to more than R25 billion and cash and cash equivalents below R4 billion. Morero has denied that Johannesburg is facing a financial crisis.
JPC manages the city’s property portfolio and says on its website that it has about 29,000 properties under management, covering 39,000 hectares across seven municipal regions.
 has rejected reports that its chief executive officer, Mduduzi Musawakhe “Musah” Makhunga, earns R5.5 million a year.){kind=link}