Troubled Emfuleni local municipality has been paying an employee who has never set his foot at work for four years a salary of R2.4-million.
Senior engineering technician Silence Munwai has been receiving an annual salary of R597 022 with benefits.
This emanates from claims that Munwai had allegedly threatened to shoot and kill the manager of Emfuleni parks and cemeteries, Sithembile Ngobeni, in May 2016.
The fallout between Munwai and Ngobeni was allegedly triggered by issues pertaining to the former being questioned by the latter on why Munwai was always absent from work.
Threatened with death, Ngobeni filed a protection order against Munwai.
This was revealed by the MEC of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Mzi Khumalo, when he was responding to written questions by DA member of provincial legislature Kingsol Chabalala.
In May, Chabalala asked Khumalo the reasons that resulted in the protection order being filed by Ngobeni against Munwai.
Replying to the questions last week, Khumalo said Munwai had allegedly threatened to shoot and kill Ngobeni when he was asked why he was constantly absent from work, and that all hell broke loose when the complainant ran to the police to get a protection order against the alleged transgressor.
Khumalo said Munwai was paid more than R500 000 annually by the municipality while he was sitting at home.
“Mr Munwai is still getting his monthly salary. Annual salary is R597 022,” Khumalo said.
Ngobeni did not respond to questions sent to her.
Asked for a comment, Munwai said: “I am still in a meeting, I can’t talk to you. Communicate with Emfuleni department of communications.”
Emfuleni spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni said: “I still have to get information from user departments.”
Chabalala said: “This unresolved dispute is a massive cost to taxpayers that must not be allowed to continue.
“This dispute between the two employees is costing Emfuleni residents, who continue to suffer a collapse in service delivery. The fact that this dispute has lasted for years indicates that the Emfuleni human resources department has failed to resolve it.
“The DA demands that MEC Khumalo urgently intervene and resolve this dispute to curb any further loss of income by Emfuleni.
“In addition, the DA proposes that the Gauteng provincial government put measures in place to ensure disputes between managers and subordinates are resolved promptly.”
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