The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the Northern Cape on Thursday threatened to “withdraw workers” from the Thembelihle Local Municipality until outstanding salaries are paid.
In a lengthy communique issued by SAMWU Northern Cape Provincial Secretary Lawrence Fennie, the union revealed it was also pressing for the struggling municipality to be placed under administration.
The union said the municipality, which covers areas such as Hopetown, Orania and Strydenburg has for the last four months been on autopilot.
SAWMU said there was no executive leadership, which has resulted in limited-service delivery and more worryingly, the non-payment of workers’ salaries for the month of January.
“In December 2022, the municipal manager, who is the accounting officer of the municipality, tendered his resignation,” SAMWU said.
“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.”
SAMWU said, as a result, workers at the municipality have not been paid their January 2023 salaries.
Medical aid and pension fund contributions, which were deducted from staff salaries, remain in arrears and have not been paid for more than a year, the union said.
SAMWU pointed to the recent arrest of a former senior official at the municipality as proof that failing to pay over statutory deductions was a criminal offence.
The union said it was going to file a complaint with the police against the official responsible.
SAWMU said this official has “essentially stolen workers’ monies by making deductions against their salaries but not paying over that money to third parties”.
The union said administrative instability at the municipality “cannot be delinked from the political instability within Council”.
Another distraction, SAMWU said was that the Council Speaker was embroiled in legal battles to be declared legitimate.
“As a result of the political infighting and instability, Council cannot sit to appoint an acting municipal manager or CFO who would ensure that both workers and service providers are paid for work done,” SAMWU said.
“This instability has not only prejudiced workers but also compromised service delivery for residents of the municipality.”
SAMWU said it was calling for urgent intervention by the Provincial Government under Section 139 of the Constitution.
“The current Councillors have proven to be hopelessly unable to fulfil their duties and as such, an administrator should be appointed to oversee the general administration of the municipality,” SAMWU said.
“If needs be, the municipality should be dissolved, and fresh elections held to elect people who have the interest of workers and residents at heart.”
