Durban - Millions of rand are being spent on the protection of eThekwini Municipality councillors without threat assessments being carried out by the police.
The Mercury has seen documentation detailing the number of councillors being protected, and the costs involved.
According to the document, R27 million was spent in the 2022/23 financial year, which exceeded the budget by R6m. However, a “grand total” of R154m was also mentioned in the document. According to a source, who asked not to be named, the R154m related to all the costs that formed part of the protection function, including supply of vehicles, fuel etc.
Asked about the R154m, the City said the information was incorrect. The City said: “The facts are that R21m was budgeted for salaries, and the overspend was R6m. Bringing the total to R27m, inclusive of overtime.”
The document also showed that there are about 24 councillors receiving protection, including mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and Speaker Thabani Nyawose. While Kaunda and Nyawose had four security officials, the rest had two.
It stated that the councillors, who started receiving protection in July last year, had been assigned protection without any threat assessments being done by the SAPS. However, it said the City had applied for this to be done.
A source in the council, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said the situation was unfair.
“The metro police are not meant to be guarding councillors. They are supposed to be servicing the community, but because of the inefficiencies in the security unit, which was originally set up for this function, the metro police end up doing that, which leaves them with little resources to do what they are supposed to do.”
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said it was ANC councillors who were receiving protection.
“It is only the members of the opposition that are not being provided with security; once you are an ANC Exco member you get protection. If there has been a reshuffle, and the current members are moved out, the new ones will get protection. The old ones will also continue to get protection. Last month I wrote to the city manager asking for information (on councillors’ security), to this day he hasn’t answered the questions,” he said.
ActionSA councillor Alan Beesley said: “Rather than spending money in the right areas, the municipality continues to waste money. In most instances having protection is more of an ego matter for councillors as opposed to being needs-based.”
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa said: “It is indeed very worrying that such a huge amount has been spent protecting politicians while only 14% of the cameras in the city are functional, which compromises the safety of residents. We encourage the Speaker to prioritise urgent cases of threats against councillors, but do so reasonably.”
EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the salaries, allowances and benefits given to elected members of council were regulated through legislative prescripts, including the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister’s gazetted determination of upper limits of salaries; allowances and benefits of different members of municipal councils.
“The said regulations indeed make a provision that members of council (councillors) be supported with personal security subject to a threat and risk analysis being conducted. The eThekwini Municipality through its Councillor Support Policy does make provision that an interim security measure may be offered to a council member whose life is under threat,” she said.
Asked about councillors who no longer held senior posts still receiving protection, she said: “We protect all councillors with threats, because first and foremost they are councillors before they are appointed as Exco members or committee chairs.”
On concerns that the original budget for security had been exhausted, she said: “The VIP protectors are obligated to provide close protection services while councillors are performing their duties, which sometimes run until late. This has contributed to the overspend.”