Category Archives: Independent on Saturday

Independent on Saturday: Sutcliffe pay boost up to R1.7m a year

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http://www.independentonsaturday.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5398074

Sutcliffe pay boost up to R1.7m a year

March 20, 2010 Edition 1

CARVIN GOLDSTONE

DURBAN’S ratepayers are paying dearly for the “skills” of its senior municipal officials, whose total packages have been pumped up considerably.

eThekwini city manager Mike Sutcliffe’s total annual package is R1 738 000, which equates to a whopping R144 833 a month, according to the city’s latest annual report at the end of the 2008/09 financial year.

Sutcliffe’s annual basic salary of R1 253 000 is boosted with a R102 000 car allowance and a R382 000 “market” or skills allowance. His previous total package was R1 253 000.

City treasurer Krish Kumar is hot on his heels with a total package of R1 580 000, giving him R121 166 monthly and making him the second highest earner in the city. His basic remuneration is R875 000 but he receives a R280 000 car allowance and an additional R242 000 as a market allowance. On top of that Kumar receives R183 000 as a contribution to his UIF, Medical Aid and Pension Fund.

His previous package was R1 238 000.

Deputy city manager for governance Sipho Cele earns a total package of R1 454 000 which includes a R280 000 car allowance and a R121 000 market allowance. His previous package was R1 402 000 and included a R171 000 performance bonus.

The issue of market or skills allowance is proving hugely controversial in eThekwini Municipality after the finding of an internal municipal document that more than 50 senior officials received market allowances or bonuses.

Kumar has disputed the unofficial document and said the figures quoted were incorrect.

He said the Annual Report figures, where all salary details of the city manager and all the managers that report directly to him were outlined, were the correct disclosures.

The city is compelled by law to release the salary details of the city’s top earners who are Section 57 employees – municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers.

Kumar said a report has been compiled and would be submitted to the executive committee, explaining the market allowances and how they were determined.

He said the report to exco also covered how salaries were determined but said salaries for the city manager and Section 57 employees were well below the (private) market salaries.

eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba walked off with a cool R959 000, up from R807 000 for the previous financial year.

Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo earned R885 000 last year (previously R745 000) and Municipal Speaker James Nxumalo fell just short of the R1 million mark, pocketing R916 000 last year (R503 000).

While the mayor and deputy mayor do not receive car allowances they have the use of council-owned vehicles for official duties and the mayor has three full-time bodyguards and the deputy mayor has two full-time bodyguards.

Independent on Saturday: Colleagues hail top officer’s arrest

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http://www.independentonsaturday.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5388745

Colleagues hail top officer’s arrest

March 13, 2010 Edition 1

Fiona Gounden

SOON after the arrest of Sydenham police station commander Senior Superintendent Glen Nayager, members of his station were “victorious” and said it “was about time” that he was made to answer for his “wrongdoings”.

His colleagues gathered outside the station soon after they heard the news that Nayager had been arrested by the Hawks, the Saps crime fighting unit, on Wednesday, for allegedly being in possession of dockets, including one in which he is facing a charge of assault.

He was arrested at police offices in Isipingo and appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court. He was released on R2 000 bail and the case was adjourned to April 16.

Hawks spokesman Musa Zondi said they were gathering information for the next court appearance on three counts of defeating and obstructing the course of justice. “We believe there was an intention on his part to hide those dockets, and in the process defeating and obstructing the course of justice.”

Minutes after his arrest, the mood at the station was jovial as officers gathered and laughed at the news of his arrests. Some even commented: “Glen Nayager, who’s that? We’ve never heard of him.”

A police captain said: “We are indeed glad that a high-profile team such as the Hawks have caught up with him, and there’s no buying them off.”

Meanwhile, the SAPS would institute internal disciplinary action against him, said Superintendent Vincent Mdunge.

Independent on Saturday: Showdown at City Hall

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http://www.tios.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4502243

SHOWDOWN AT CITY HALL
Campaigners chase Sutcliffe in car park

July 12, 2008 Edition 1

CARVIN GOLDSTONE

Metro Police yesterday arrested and forcibly removed more than 190 foreign refugees who had camped at the back entrance of Durban City Hall for two days.

The group, which was made up predominantly of children with their mothers, had been trying to get some sort of assistance from the council but after a last warning to disperse, some began handing themselves over to police. Others were forcibly removed and all were taken away in Metro Police vans.

Police took them to Durban Central Police Station and then later to Albert Park.

Metro Police spokesman Snr Supt Thozamile Tyala said the people were taken to Albert Park because the city hall was not “conducive for refugees”.

“There are no toilets and where they stay there should be toilets. It is inhumane and a disadvantage for them if there is no shelter and no toilets,” he said.

When asked if Albert Park had toilets and shelter, Tyala said he did not know.

The refugee group were camped at the city hall after they had been evicted from a Broad Street shelter by the landlord after the city council made it clear that they would no longer pay for the group’s accommodation.

Yesterday, the group were still eating lunch when police in riot helmets and armed with guns moved in and told them that if they did not disperse in 10 minutes they would forcibly remove them. While some went willingly, clutching their children, others fought and refused to be taken away.

The parking lot where the refugees had camped is used by eThekwini councillors, the mayor, senior officials and city manager Michael Sutcliffe.

When Sutcliffe emerged from the city hall and headed for his car, three women from the Durban Action Against Xenophobia organisation chased him and prevented him from driving away.

Manjke du Toit, Eva Jackson and Alice Thomson stood behind Sutcliffe’s Toyota Fortuner and refused to allow him to reverse. When Sutcliffe proceeded to reverse, the women put out their hands and despite being bumped by Sutcliffe’s reversing vehicle, continued to stand in the way. Sutcliffe then stopped and had an exchange with Du Toit, Thomson and Jackson. After a while some of the refugee children also stood behind his car.

Police intervened and asked the children to move.

Several councillors from across party lines who came through the parking lot said the problem was not a council problem but a national government concern because the people were not South Africans.

Police at the scene yesterday tried to threaten refugees that they would call Home Affairs and check their status if they did not move.

Refugees are reluctant to go back to the local communities because of the way some have been treated on returning.

John Bin Mukambilwa of the Democratic Republic of Congo said when he returned he was stabbed. He showed The Independent on Saturday stab wounds on his back and side from the attack.

Tyala said he believed Metro Police handled the refugees correctly but those who felt they were violated should come forward.

Newsapaper letter: [Police] ‘Violence can’t be justified’

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http://www.tios.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4066414

Letters
Violence can’t be justified

October 06, 2007 Edition 1

From: Mnikelo Ndabankulu Durban

The article by Carvin Goldstone (The Independent on Saturday, September 29) allowed all to see who fools who when the police say they arrest marchers and charge them for public violence.

In the photograph, you can see the man in the red shirt, with his arms folded, with nothing in his hands such as stones or sticks. So how do we justify this violence?

I think it’s high time our busy judges’ time is used on serious cases, not these destabilising strategies.

To add salt to the wounds, they did not take notice of the protest from the people and respected church leaders from different denominations, such as the Methodist Bishop P Malinga; Rev T Dlazi, Rev P Phillipo from Italy based in the Roman Catholic church in Mgungundlovu, Pastor Mavuso and Pastor Dlamini, to mention a few.

Their presence was rewarded by having their clothing, cellphones and digital cameras drenched by water cannon.

What a bad attitude shown to our church leaders by the police in this instance.

Independent on Saturday: ”Where is the R10-billion?’

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3045&art_id=vn20070929085453605C905431

September 29 2007 at 12:13PM

Chaos erupted in the Durban suburb of Sydenham after a peaceful housing protest turned ugly as police dispersed a large crowd using water cannons, rubber bullets and baton charges on Friday.

Fifteen people, including academics Fazel Khan and Richard Pitthouse, were arrested and charged with public violence.

Police baton-charged the estimated 1 000 protesters on the command of Sydenham Police Station Commissioner Superintendent Glen Nayager after they refused to disperse when their demand to hand over their memorandum to Mayor Obed Mlaba was not met.

The protesters said the march was over the failure of Mlaba and the eThekwini council to provide housing to Durban’s poor and homeless.

On Friday, homeless people took to the streets with banners asking “Where is the R10-billion?” that Mlaba promised for a housing project.

After marching a few kilometres from their homes in Kennedy Road to the eThekwini Municipal Offices in Sydenham where the group had hoped to meet Mlaba, the group was informed that the mayor was not coming and instead an official from the eThekwini Municipality was on hand to collect their memorandum of demands.

Leader of Abahlali baseMjondolo, the shackdwellers movement, S’bu Zikode, said the mayor’s snub was a sign of disrespect and disregard.

He told protesters that they would never allow this, and said the mayor had failed to respect the needs and call of the poor.

The people refused to move until Mlaba honoured their protest, but police called in the water cannon and decided to disperse the group using force.

Police baton-charged the group and without warning began firing the water cannon and rubber bullets.

A number of the protesters, including women and children, were injured.

The police arrested a number of protesters and took them to Sydenham Police Station.

Mnikelo Ndabankulu, who was one of the march organisers, said he went to visit those who were arrested and was himself arrested.

Speaking from inside the police cell, Ndabankulu said they were charged with public violence and were being refused bail.

The protesters were demanding that Mlaba accept the memorandum because almost two years ago he “paraded” a piece of land near Gateway shopping centre before the media and said the city would build a R10-billion housing project called the Phoenix East Integrated Housing Development Project for Durban’s homeless.

Mlaba’s announcement was made days after a similar protest took place in Durban by the same group of people.

But a day after the announcement Moreland Development, which owned the land that Mlaba had said was for the housing project, released a statement saying it was “only involved in preliminary discussions with the eThekwini Municipality regarding plans for the future development of Cornubia”, and that the mayor had caused a misunderstanding about the housing project which was not a “done deal”.

Mlaba said he was not aware of a legal march taking place, but he did not see anything wrong with someone else receiving the memorandum.

“If it was legal I was not aware of it,” he said.

Mlaba said there was no imperative that any specific person had to receive a memorandum.

He said anyone could receive the memorandum, which was just a document raising awareness about something.

Mlaba said it was not a court order where they could demand his presence and said they should have handed the memorandum to the person who had come to receive it.

On the concerns of the protesters, Mlaba said that one of the problems with the housing backlog was that “as we build 10 000 homes there are another 10 000 pushed into the city because people are making money as shack lords and we cannot have that”.

With regards to the R10-billion housing project, that he announced almost two years ago, Mlaba said the project was still going to go ahead, but “no one said it would happen on Su