Councillors want K15, 000 as monthly salary
COUNCILLORS have complained about the delay by the Emoluments Commission to effect the approved order by Parliament to put them on a salary.
Zambia’s 156 constituencies are sub-divided into 1,858 wards which are represented by councillors who sit in city, municipal and town councils.
On June 28, 2022, President Hakainde Hichilema signed the commencement order for the Emoluments Commission and that meant the Commission started working.
The operationalisation of the Emoluments Commission implies that all public bodies, State institutions and State organs have to cease to determine their own emoluments.
The Emoluments Commission was established under article 232 of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016, with the mandate to determine, on the recommendation of the relevant authority or Commission, the emoluments of public offices, chiefs and members of the House of Chiefs.
Further, Article 264 (2) provides for the Emoluments Commission to determine emoluments of a State officer, councillor, constitutional office holder and judge.
A group of councillors, who sought anonymity, told Kalemba that all they want is for their conditions of service to be improved.
The civic leaders complained that it is difficult to work with defined conditions of service.
They said but their work is involving, especially now that Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has been remarkably increased.
“We are still getting a mere K3, 000 monthly allowance, with no conditions of service. Sitting allowance is K350 and a transport [fare] of K60,” the councillors complained.
They further pointed out at the high cost of living and immense work load in their wards as part of the reasons should be draw a decent pay from the government.
“People flock to our houses any time during working hours and sometimes during the night,” they said.
They highlighted that in most instances, all community hardships which people encounter, like funerals, are lumped on them and that they usually use their own resources to attend to such situations.
“We want the government to give us a monthly salary of about K15, 000, or more, that will attract a gratuity at the end of the term, just like the other elected officials like MPs (members of parliament), mayors and even the President. There should also be a good sitting allowance and transport [fare] for a councillor,” said the councillors.
“We also want ward allowance and other incentives, just like they are given.”
Kalemba