SAMWU refuses to be silenced by corrupt municipalities in North West Province

04 November 2020

SAMWU refuses to be silenced by corrupt municipalities in North West Province

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) is enraged following attempts by a clique in North West Province to silence the union from blowing the whistle on rampant cronyism, corruption, maladministration and theft of municipal resources with impunity. We cannot allow the last line of defense for workers and communities to be silenced and turn a blind eye when the much-needed municipal resources are dried up by individuals who have no interest in service delivery but rather the filling of their pockets and those of their friends and families.

Just recently the union exposed evil intentions of the Tswaing Local Municipality to illegally sneak into its payroll 127 individuals. Instead of addressing or these issues, the municipality responded by suspending 24 workers and ultimately dismissing the union’s Provincial Secretary, Vincent Diphoko and another member, Mogale Morwe.

The sins of the comrades were nothing but a ploy to threaten and intimidate workers from exposing the rot that is in North West Municipalities. We still maintain that the intention by the municipality to sneak into its payroll these individuals is not motivated by strengthening service delivery but rather extending patronage and securing employment for their friends and families before the next local government elections.

The municipality simply does not have the money to pay these people, these vacancies have not been approved anywhere, they are not budgeted for. Most importantly, the Tswaing Local Municipality is, as a result of theft, bleeding resources, it can’t pay workers their overtimes, third parties such as medical aids and pension funds have not be paid in over 2 years. This is the same municipality that is failing to honour its payment arrangement with Eskom, leading to constant power interruptions at great inconvenience to residents and businesses.

The cowardice act of the Tswaing Local Municipality and the clique operating in the province is nothing but a provocation of workers and union bashing. We will not allow our members to be used as sacrificial lambs for executing their union and civil duties by exposing the rampant corruption in municipalities, corruption which has resulted in the collapse of the province’s municipalities as stated by consecutive Auditor General reports.

Recently we have seen the Hawks working overtime, crisscrossing the province’s municipalities raiding offices and arresting thieves. Surely people think that by silencing workers who are vocal and against the rot in municipalities, that they will not get their opportunity to be given a lift in the now famous Golf 7 GTI.

We call on all workers, particularly in municipalities in the North West Province to continue blowing the lid on corruption. The union will, just as is our intention with the two dismissed and 24 suspended workers use all legal avenues at its disposal to ensure their reinstatement and protection from these vultures.

We further call on the ANC Provincial Task Team to not turn a blind eye on these shenanigans. Your time to act in the interest of service delivery and against those who tarnish the name of the organization for their personal benefit is now. The PTT’s silence in this time of great moral decay would be betrayal of workers, residents, those who sacrifice their lives to expose corruption and the congress movement.

We will not be silenced, neither will be complacent in intentions of running down the province’s municipalities. Those who have stolen may not see a need for municipalities, hence the intentions to run them down. The poor still need them, municipalities are their only hope or receiving services. Afterall, they are in the coalface of service delivery.

Lastly, we call on workers to defend their elected leaders and colleagues, its about time that workers stand up and fight for themselves as it seems there is no one who is willing to.

This is a friendly warning to the Tswaing Local Municipality, you have 48 hours to reinstate the 2 dismissed workers and withdraw the suspensions of the 24 workers. Failures to which, you will know the full wrath of municipal workers.

Issued by SAMWU Secretariat

Koena Ramotlou
General Secretary
(073 254 9394)

Or

Dumisane Magagula
Deputy General Secretary
(084 806 4005)

Or

Papikie Mohale
National Media Officer
(073 710 0356)