On Wednesday, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) strongly objected to a proposed 4% salary increase for councillors of the Rand West Local Municipality (Randfontein and Westonaria).
Rand West simply cannot afford it. The money can be put to much better use by settling the Municipality’s enormous overdue Eskom bill, instead of lining councillors’ pockets.
Despite the Freedom Front Plus’s plea, the majority of the Council approved the increase.
Rand West, a Grade 5 municipality, has been struggling to properly deliver services for a long time. Residents are regularly affected by water restrictions, for instance, because the Municipality has fallen behind on payments to Rand Water. The Municipality is in a dire financial position and it hampers basic services.
Against this backdrop, it is unacceptable that councillors voted to increase their own salaries while residents endure hardship brought on by poor governance and unpaid bills.
This decision does not benefit the community in any way and clearly demonstrates that personal gain is prioritised above residents’ interests.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep pressing for public funds to be spent responsibly and for service delivery — not councillors’ remuneration — to be the top priority.
