R7,200 for One Meeting a Month: Cape Town’s Police Watchdog Pay Hike Sparks Backlash

A proposal to more than triple the pay of civilian members serving on Cape Town’s police oversight committee has been sent back for revision by Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewisbut not before sparking fierce debate about what constitutes fair compensation for public service.

The report, tabled at Tuesday’s mayoral committee meeting, recommended that each of the nine civil society members on the Civilian Oversight Committee (Civoc) receive R7,200 for preparing for and attending the committee’s single monthly meeting. They currently receive R1,866.16.

The chairperson’s allowance for that same meeting would jump from R2,486.40 to R8,500.

What Civoc Does

Civoc is not an optional extra. Metros operating municipal police services are legally required to maintain such a committee. In Cape Town, it oversees Metro Police, Law Enforcement, and Traffic Services, ensuring they act within the law and maintain proper standards.

The committee comprises two councillors and 10 civil society members, one of whom serves as chair. The two councillors receive no allowance for these meetings.

A ‘Structural Adjustment’

The report is explicit that this is not a routine inflationary increase. It describes the change as a “structural adjustment,” arguing that the current allowance “is not aligned to the nature of Civoc’s statutory oversight work, the specialist expertise required, and the increased complexity and reputational risk associated with civilian oversight of policing functions.”

“The effectiveness of Civoc hinges on having skilled, knowledgeable, and motivated members,” the report states. Competitive remuneration, it argues, is necessary to attract and retain individuals with appropriate expertise.

If approved as proposed, the increase would cost the metro an additional R648,217.92 per year.

Sent Back for Rework

Mayor Hill-Lewis referred the proposal back “for it to be worked on a little bit more,” according to safety and security boss JP Smith. “It will serve again before the committee at a later date.”

No public reasons were given for the decision.

Comparisons and Criticism

The report compares the proposed rates to other municipalities, noting that Buffalo City’s audit committee receives a fixed sitting allowance of R8,900 per meeting, plus preparation fees of up to R6,000totalling more than R14,000 per meeting. By that measure, the argument goes, Cape Town’s proposed rates are still conservative.

But critics see it differently.

Sandra Dickson, of lobby group Stop COCT, called the proposal “extreme.”

“The city is reframing a low-stakes stipend into a professional consultancy rate in one step,” she said. “A more than threefold increase during a period of political strain and service-delivery pressures will likely be perceived as elite self-reward, regardless of the technical justification.”

Dickson also questioned the assumptions underpinning the proposal: “The report also assumes eight hours of work per meeting without independent verification, which weakens its credibility.”

The Underlying Question

The Civoc allowance debate touches on a broader tension: how to compensate citizens who contribute specialised expertise to public bodies without creating the perceptionor realityof excessive pay.

Proponents argue that effective oversight requires skilled professionals, and skilled professionals cost money. If the city wants serious oversight of its police services, it must pay seriously.

Critics counter that a threefold increase in a single adjustment, during times of service-delivery pressure, sends exactly the wrong message.

For now, the proposal sits with the mayor, awaiting revision. When it returns, the debate will resumeand the council will have to decide what a citizen’s time, expertise, and oversight are worth.