Mayors’ and Council Chairperson emoluments determined
By Isaac Mwanza
Government has determined the Emoluments of Mayors and Council Chairpersons to also include security at their residences, new subsistence allowances from K900 to K1,500 per day. The top 4 Mayors in Zambia receive take-home salaries ranging from K18,000 to K25,000 per month.
So how much are we going to be spending on additional security at the residency for Mayors and Council Chairpersons plus out of town subsistence allowances? Meanwhile, Councillors only get K3,000 per month.
Government must deal with emoluments for Councillors with the urgency that it needs. These disparities in emoluments between Councillors and Mayors is pure discrimination under Local Government and I urge Minister Hon. Vincent Mwale to deal with this situation which is so discriminatory. We must remember that the highest Court of the land, the Constitutional Court, pronounced its first judgment which recognised Councillors as State Officers.
In accordance with Article 264 of the Constitution, Councillors who are also State Officers, are entitled to emoluments which include salaries, allowances, benefits and rights that form an individual’s remuneration for services rendered, including pension benefits or other benefits on retirement.
If Councillors can’t legally fight for themselves as Mayors and Council Chairpersons do through the Local Government Association of Zambia to get these entitlement and emoluments, who will fight for you? Stand up and claim what is your constitutional entitlement also.