After encountering financial difficulties and failing to pay staff salaries for May, the Impendle local municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands approached the National Treasury with a desperate plea.
The municipality said it was engaged in talks with the Treasury, and after the engagements, the ANC-run municipality hopes that its finances will improve and its situation will return to normal.
According to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in the province, the municipality has also failed to pay pension, medical aid, and UIF contributions to third parties despite deducting the monies from the salaries of the employees.
The union also alleged that the municipality failed to pay full salaries for the month of April, leaving its employees frustrated.
Breach of trust
“This amounts to a serious breach of trust and fiduciary responsibility, with real and dire consequences for workers and their families,” the union said.
“Our members, some of whom have been forced to use their last cash reserves to seek medical attention, are being subjected to undue financial and emotional hardship.
“This unacceptable situation is not merely an administrative lapse — it borders on criminality and must be treated with the seriousness it warrants.”
The union continued: “Samwu has formally written to the municipality demanding accountability and clarity on whether consequence management will be instituted against those responsible for this gross negligence.
“It is deeply concerning that, to date, no official has been subjected to disciplinary action for what is clearly a failure to perform fiduciary duties.
“This ongoing silence and inaction by the municipality is telling — it speaks to a culture of impunity and disdain for workers’ rights.”
EFF criticises municipality’s officials
The EFF in KwaZulu-Natal has joined the debate, expressing concern that senior officials are misusing municipality funds to hire luxury cars and private security guards, as if they were a thriving metropolis, while employees remain unpaid.
The red berets added that the speaker of the same municipality is enjoying top-notch perks like a luxurious car and bodyguards as if all is normal in the municipality.
In response to the crisis, the municipal manager, Zakhele Tshabalala, said they wish to assure their employees that they are working around the clock to address the salary issue.
“We want to assure our employees that the municipality’s management is actively working to resolve this issue,” said Tshabalala.
“We are taking immediate steps to address the root cause of the delay and ensure that salaries are paid as soon as possible.
“To this end, we are currently engaging with the National Treasury and other relevant stakeholders to expedite the process.”
