EDITORIAL | R2.47bn wage bill but not a single public toilet maintained

Buffalo City Metrohas a laden and top-heavy organogram. According to its website, as of 2022/23, it employed more than 6,000 people at an annual salary cost exceeding R2.47bn. It has about nine directorates, each of which has several departments or programmes.

This means it has dozens of directors and programme and departmental heads. All of these ‘managers’ are extremely well paid, starting with the municipal manager whose annual package is reportedly worth more than R3m. Directors and general managers don’t earn much less.

Included in its many directorates and departments are positions for electrical and other engineers, plumbers, quantity surveyors and other critical skills On the political side, there are more than 100 councillors in the ANC-led council. This is a metro that cannot even get it together for holiday season Despite all of this, it is a municipality thatfails to maintain even a single ablution blockin its entire municipal area. This is a metro that cannot even get it together for holiday season.