IMATU PLEASED WITH STEPS TO REGULATE SENIOR MANAGERS IN MUNICIPALITIES

The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) met with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Richard Baloyi, on Monday to discuss the promulgation of further regulations to the Municipal Systems Amendment Act.

 IMATU representatives will form part of a task team, assigned with the responsibility of further developing draft regulations to the Municipal Systems Amendment Act. The regulations will focus largely on senior management and involves; recruitment and selection policy, standardisation of conditions of service, the skills, qualifications and experience requirements of senior managers and lastly, defining the principles for the effective performance of senior management.

 “IMATU is particularly pleased by the area of regulation that sets out the criteria for the establishment of organisational structures. The development of organisational structures and positions within a municipality has in the past been left to the discretion of the municipality itself. The Municipal Systems Amendment Act currently outlines that the MEC for Local Government must be informed of all senior management appointments and if the correct recruitment and selection processes have been followed, s/he will in turn notify the COGTA Minister of the new appointment. The implementation of clear and effective regulations will standardise conditions of service and recruitment and selection policies, in turn addressing our serious concern of runaway salaries, cadre deployment and under-capacitated senior managers,” explained IMATU Deputy General Secretary, Craig Adams

Earlier this year IMATU welcomed the Minister’s commitment, voiced during his Budget Vote Speech, to regulate the salaries of municipal managers and implement a national recruitment and selection policy.

 “It is imperative that management teams’ remuneration levels are standardised and that every municipal entity takes responsibility for spending rate payers’ money wisely. Some municipal managers are receiving salaries 1000 times higher than the lowest paid municipal employee, yet their municipalities are facing financial ruin due to poor supply chain management, bad financial management, high vacancies and corruption. This meeting held between COGTA and IMATU serves as the starting point for effecting improvement in our municipalities,” stated Adams.

 IMATU participated extensively in the drafting of the Municipal Systems Amendment Act and many of its recommendations were ultimately incorporated in the finalised Act. IMATU will apply itself in the same respect to ensuring qualitative input to the current draft regulations.

“The task team will commence their work as early as next week. The regulation of senior managers, also known as Section 57 employees, has been prioritised by the Minister himself,” concluded Adams.

IMATU is looking forward to engaging and collaborating with COGTA to ensure an efficient, and sustainable Local Government which will benefit all South Africans.