Perception of Senior Managers on the Upper Limits Policy for Remuneration in Local Government: A Case of Polokwane Municipality in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Vheli Mthombeni and Zwelibanzi Mpehle

DOI:  10.15604/ejss.2018.06.01.002

Abstract

The salaries and benefits of senior managers in South African municipalities have become a public interest precisely because they are characterized by lack of uniformity and substantial variations. Generally, the remuneration packages of these senior managers are not congruent with the expected performance, and some managers do not meet the minimum requirements and competencies to be in such positions Given these challenges, it became necessary for the South African government to regulate the remuneration of senior managers in municipalities, and therefore introduced the Regulations on the Appointment and Conditions of Employment of Senior Managers on the 17th of January 2014. This meant a shift from a practice of senior managers negotiating their salary packages to nationally regulated remuneration. This article therefore aims at investigating the perceptions of senior managers on the Upper Limits Policy by ascertaining the extent of the acceptability of the Policy by senior managers, and determining if senior managers perceive the implementation of the Upper Limits Policy as a positive and effective development as far as the recruitment and retention of senior managers in the Polokwane Municipality. The researchers opted for a qualitative approach and utilized a semi structured interview schedule to gather data from all senior managers, seven in number, in the Polokwane Municipality. The findings revealed that the introduction of the Upper Limits Policy was not well communicated to the affected parties, and therefore not supported. This therefore has negative implications on its implementation. 

Keywords: Upper Limits Policy, Senior Managers, Remuneration, Recruitment, Retention