Outcry over councillors' day jobs
2007-09-06
May Saal
A request for permission by full-time councillors to undertake paid work of a consultancy nature, which was granted by the Drakenstein mayoral committee, caused an outcry at the council meeting last Thursday.
Mayoral committee councillors Deetlefs du Toit (financial consultant), Wilhelm Nothnagel (property consultant), Johan Visser (labour consultant) and Koos le Roux (business consultant) requested that the Council consider granting consent to them to undertake other paid work besides their council responsibilities.
Objected ANC councillor Van den Bergh Pienaar: “This is a strange request against the country’s law. It is a senseless request from councillors who earn R30 000 a month. They should be giving time and attention to Council work.
“The Council should actually investigate if full-time councillors are not doing other work already.”
Arthob Petersen strongly indicated that steps should be taken against these councillors.
“These councillors have received remuneration over the past four months as full-time councillors. Why didn’t they request this when they were appointed as full-time councillors?” Petersen wanted to know.
Former mayor Charmaine Manuel emphasised that these councillors should be charged for contravening the code of conduct for councillors.
“They should pay back the last four months’ remuneration that they got from council. They should have put in this request when they were elected as exco members,” Manuel said.
According to the code of conduct for councillors, full-time councillors may not undertake any other paid work except with the consent of the municipal council, which consent shall not unreasonablly be withheld.
These councillors also included conditions, that such work would not in any way impede or restrict their duties as full-time councillors or constitute a clash with the interests of the Drakenstein Municipality.
The request was granted two days before the floor-crossing window opened, which could mean that three of the four councillors concerned will no longer serve in the executive committee. Nothnagel is likely to retain his post as deputy mayor.
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