City set to ‘paint town RED’

WINDHOEK Mayor Matheus Shikongo and his 14 city councillors will receive N$2,7 million (or roughly N$180 000 each) in allowances this year.

As tension builds up between the City of Windhoek and the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which is threatening to seek an urgent interdict to stop the municipality from implementing rate hikes of between 10 and 15 per cent, scrutiny of the recently approved budget shows that a quarter of the city’s salary and wage bill consists of allowances.The municipality will spend about N$462 million, nearly 30 per cent of its entire operational budget, on salaries and wages this year. Of this, nearly N$115 million are for allowances.Apart from the City Council’s chunk, the budget also provides for housing allowances of N$88 million and transport allowances to the tune of N$20 million.All municipal employees qualify for housing allowances. Management also qualifies for car allowances.Also included in the budget is N$4,5 million for ‘other allowances’, without specifying what the millions are for.In addition, there is a steering committee allowance of N$5 000.The NUNW’s fury was sparked after The Namibian reported last Friday that the City Council approved an entertainment budget of at least N$1,4 million at the expense of community and social welfare projects.A closer look at the budget revealed even more questionable spending.The municipality intends splurging N$60 000 on ‘glassware’ this year.Their dry cleaning and laundry bill will total N$18 100.Films and video tapes will cost them N$31 000. And flags will come to N$6 000.The City of Windhoek has set aside N$12 000 for copyright on a musical, and N$21 000 for their exhibition at the Windhoek Show.A cool N$100 000 will be pumped into their sports club.This year’s budget for donations is N$40 000. However, there is also a budget for ‘Fairwell (sic) Retirement Donation’, and the tab for this N$87 500.Nearly half a million will be forked out for membership fees.Queries by The Namibian more than a week ago on precisely what the approved N$498 000 will be spent on, have been left unanswered.The Junior City Council will cost Windhoek N$75 000 this year. Parks promotions are going to chase up expenditure by another N$40 000.Workshop and conferences will shrink resources by N$66 000. And N$7 500 extra will be dished out for ‘consumables’ at these events.The municipality’s stationery bill will run up to N$1,7 million this year. Plus N$100 000 for copy charges.Their fuel budget is N$21 million. On top of that are transportation costs of N$500 000.They will spend N$2,4 million and N$1,5 million on legal and bank charges respectively.NUNW President Alpheus Muheua told The Namibian yesterday that the union is consulting their legal team on their planned interdict.jo-mare@namibian.com.na