Tebogo Msimanga |
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the Northern Cape is calling on urgent intervention by the Provincial Government at the Thembelihle Local Municipality. The municipality which covers areas such as Hopetown, Orania and Strydenburg has for the last four months been on autopilot, without executive leadership which has resulted in limited-service delivery and more worryingly, the non-payment of workers’ salaries for the month of January.
SAMWU Northern Cape spokesperson Lawrence Fennie said in December 2022, the Municipal Manager, who is the accounting officer of the municipality tendered his resignation. This was recently followed by the suspension of the municipality’s CFO and other senior managers. As a result, the municipality does not have any person with the authority to sign off payments that are supposed to be made for operations.
“Workers at the municipality have as a result, did not receive their January 2023 salaries, while third parties such as medical aid and pension funds are over a year in arrears”.
Fennied added that SAMWU is calling for urgent intervention by the Provincial Government through Section 139 of the Constitution. “We will also be laying criminal charges against the former Municipal Manager who has essentially stolen workers’ monies by making deductions against their salaries but not paying over that money to third parties”.
