Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal has found within its coffers R11 million to pay stipends to all its izinduna, who were not benefiting from the scheme by virtue of not serving on traditional councils.
Tabling the adjustment budget on Thursday, Finance MEC Belinda Scott said R11.076m had been allocated for the unbudgeted R1 300 monthly stipends to 954 additional izinduna traditional leaders, who were not paid because they did not serve as traditional council members.
The payment of the stipends to all izinduna is an apparent stopgap measure to the stipulated annual salaries recommended by the commission for Remuneration of Public Office Bearers.
The provincial government had earlier this year confirmed it did not have the about R171m to pay the stipulated salaries - R84 125 a year - to the province’s 2 039 izinduna.
It had claimed that the failure to pay the salaries was due to absence of legislation that made it difficult to pay monthly salaries, like other provinces.
But, the izinduna had threatened to disrupt next year’s municipal elections if they were not paid their salaries.
This had prompted Premier Senzo Mchunu to make an commitment that stipends would be paid to all izinduna while legislation was formulated to guide salary payments.
On Thursday, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesman Lennox Mabaso said the formulation had started, but was “still in the early stage of development”.
During her address, Scott said the province had ended the 2014/15 financial year with a R941.125m surplus that was on Thursday allocated according to the provincial commitments totalling R863.5m.
Scott said Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife had been allocated R27.72m over the next three years for anti-rhino poaching.
She also said R1.5m had been allocated for the repair of the legislature’s building that was gutted by fire in October last year.
Scott said R111m was allocated in this financial year for the lawsuit involving learner teacher support (LTSM) material.
The Education Department, Scott said, was liable to pay R111m for material bought in 2005, but the release of the money was pending an out of court settlement.
She also said R150m had been allocated for sanitation in schools, with R100m to be spent in 2016/17 and the balance the following financial year.
Scott said R12m had been allocated to her department to buy biometric access scanners for all departments.
These would replace the existing scanners that were more than 12 years old.
The scanners are used for security in the government payroll system.
Daily News
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