KZN traditional leaders to start getting R600m back pay by end of month

The first phase of more than R600m in backdated payments for KwaZulu-Natal izinduna is expected to be implemented at the end of April after a decade-long wait.

KZN premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube revealed the National Treasury had allocated R631m to settle the back pay of provincial chiefs and headmen in its 2023/24 financial budget.

This after Dube-Ncube announced in March that all qualifying izinduna, including the families of those who have since passed away, would benefit. KZN has about 2,229 izinduna, the most in the country.

Dube-Ncube met traditional leaders on Tuesday to detail how the payment process would work. It was initially said to be up to R1.5bn before being drastically reduced in March 2022 when Cogta found out the sum had been exaggerated.

Cogta's verification process found not all izinduna vacancies were filled at the time and didn't work for the same period.

Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) treasurer Falendoda Malinga told TimesLIVE the back pay will be dispersed in two batches.

“It has been classified into two categories: the izinduna who are currently on the system and were there in the period in question, and those who might have exited the system along the way, either in the form of death or resignation or any other case.

“The payment for the first tranche will be processed at the end of April and those in the second category will be processed from the end of May.”

He said there were less than 1,000 izinduna who fell under the first category.

The backdated payment stems from the 2013 recommendation by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Office Bearers that izinduna be paid a stipend from the government, like all other public office bearers.

In February 2014, then-president Jacob Zuma proclaimed the recommendation be gazetted and the remuneration be backdated from April 1 2013 moving forward.

The provincial government had no budget allocated for it at the time. That’s when the back-and-forth between izinduna and the government started, resulting in protest  marches in both Pietermaritzburg and Durban until an agreement was reached in 2016 after izinduna threatened to stop the local government elections.

Provincial Cogta spokesperson Nonala Ndlovu confirmed payment to izinduna would fall into two categories, those who were in the system and a second batch for those who were no longer living.

Contralesa insists there is little to celebrate as there are still outstanding issues.

Malinga said the back payment for izinduna should be from 1994 instead of 2013 or it should come with interest since it was with the government for a decade.

“To us this is not a victory but a point of departure because there are still many grievances for us as traditional leadership. We feel robbed because this money was with the government for 10 years, yet it will be paid without any interest that might have been accumulated. The interest that it might have generated in that time is not mentioned anywhere — but that’s what this government is known for,” he said.

He added that there were still “inequalities” in the treatment of traditional leaders and other government workers that they will look to address.

TimesLIVE

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