Outgoing City of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda is set for a huge salary reduction as he is no longer the first citizen.
Gwamanda tendered his resignation letter on Tuesday, 13 August, following pressure from political parties and disgruntled residents.
HOW MUCH DID KABELO GWAMANDA EARN AS JOBURG MAYOR?
In September 2023, the Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA and African National Congress (ANC) in the metro voted in favour of salary hikes for the executive. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) voted against the salary hikes saying that the increases will widen the ever increasing pay gap between the rich and the poor.
The upper limits of the annual total remuneration packages of full-time councillors are:
- Executive mayor: R1 501 351 up from R1 446 388
- Speaker: R1 212 520 up from R1 168 131
- Member of the executive committee, or mayoral committee or whip: R1 142 175 up from R1 100 361
- Chairperson of oversight committee: R1 108 670 up from R1 068 083
Similarly, executive deputy mayors, deputy mayors and speakers’ salaries are also based on the grade of the municipalities they are attached to. Those under grade 6 earned R1 168 131 in 2022 and will now receive R1 212 520 yearly. While under grade 1, officials earned R650 986 last year and now will receive R675 723.
Following his resignation, Gwamanda said he will remain an ordinary Al Jama-ah councillor. However, party founder and leader Ganief Hendricks hinted that Al Jama-ah could be getting a seat on the mayoral committee.
If Gwamanda fills that seat, he could earn just over R1.1 million, a decrease of about R350 000 from his current R1.5 million.
FORMER MAYOR SAYS RESIGNATION IS NOT A RESULT OF POLITICAL PRESSURE
Gwamanda told SABC News that his resignation as mayor was informed by nothing outside his conversation with the ANC.
He pat himself on the shoulder, saying service delivery has improved in the city during his tenure.
“The Government of Local Unity did do their best to ensure that we restore, to some level, the service delivery required in the City of Johannesburg.”
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