Pietermaritzburg, 14 August 2026 – KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Rev. Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has called for the standardisation of the remuneration of municipal councillors across all municipalities, arguing that they are expected to deliver the same level of service.
MEC Buthelezi was delivering a keynote address during the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) KwaZulu-Natal Members’ Assembly held in Pietermaritzburg on Friday. The Assembly reflected on issues affecting local government as the term of the current cohort of councillors comes to an end in two months’ time.
Delivering his address, MEC Buthelezi placed the responsibility on SALGA to lobby for the standardisation of councillors’ remuneration, arguing that the current formula is unfair to councillors from smaller municipalities, as they are remunerated according to the size or grade of the municipality.
The current pay structure, including the upper limits for municipal office-bearers, is determined each financial year by the Minister/MEC under the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act. Actual remuneration and allowances are capped based on the grade, financial capacity and population size of each municipality, which are categorised into Grades 1 to 6.
“A Ward Councillor from a small or rural municipality has the same targets to achieve and is assessed at the same level as a councillor from a metro or urban municipality.
Their duties and challenges are pretty much the same, and at some point, the councillor from a rural area has even more challenges. So why does the councillor from a metro get paid more? It is an injustice. The standard is the same for all other office-bearers, except in local government. Members of the Legislature, magistrates and others are paid the same regardless of the province or town they serve,” said the MEC.
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