Mafube municipal employees to receive salaries following SAMWU intervention
06 February 2020
Mafube municipal employees to receive salaries following SAMWU intervention
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) National, Provincial and Regional Office Bearers have today met with employees of the Mafube Local Municipality in the Free State Province.
The Mafube Local Municipality which covers areas such as Cornelia, Frankfort, Tweeling and Villiers has failed to honour its contractual obligations with its employees by not paying employees their January salaries. Workers last received salaries in December 2019.
In the middle of January, the Municipality which is currently under administration issued a communique to workers that their salaries for the month of January would be delayed without giving any expectation as to when workers would be getting paid.
Today the Office Bearers met with workers to give them an update following the meeting with Free State Premier along with the province’s Treasury and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) HODs.
The Free State Provincial Government has made commitment that they would be releasing money would be to COGTA which would in turn transfer to the municipality. Based on the commitment which has been made by the Provincial Government, employees of the municipality are expected to be paid their salaries in full by Friday 7 February.
We will therefore be monitoring the situation in the municipality to ensure that all municipal workers are paid their salaries in full. As a union, we are concerned by the financial stability of this municipality. This is not the first time that the municipality failed to pay workers’ salaries in full and on time.
We believe that the financial challenges faced by the municipality are of the making of the Municipal Manager, Mojalefa Matlole who was seconded to the municipality by the COGTA. Matlole seems not to have any interest of stabilizing the municipality but is in that position for the sole purpose of enriching himself.
Matlole has defrauded the municipality by claiming to be paid R2.9 million before his secondment to the municipality. This fraudulent action has resulted in Matlole being one of the highest paid Municipal Managers in the country despite Mafube Local Municipality being ranked lower.
During our interactions, it was brought to our attention that Matlole has since tendered his resignation and is currently serving notice until the end of February.
Despite the resignation, we will be laying a charge of fraud against the Matlole with the aim of recouping the money that he has fraudulently received from the municipality. We will further be opposing his appointment anywhere in public service within the country as he has cannot be trusted with any position, particularly that which involves finances.
We are concerned that despite the municipality being placed under administration, there is no hope of stability and bringing back the municipality to normality. In the interest of service delivery for the residents of Mafube, we are of the view that this municipality should be dissolved and a new council elected in terms of Section 139 (1) C of the Constitution.
Issued by SAMWU Secretariat
Dumisane Magagula
Deputy General Secretary
084 806 4005
Or
Thabang Tseuoa
Free State Provincial Secretary
082 620 9160