SAMWU alarmed by maladministration at Matzikama Local Municipality

August 22, 2023 adminPress

17 May 2023

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) is dismayed with the way management at Matzikama Local Municipality has been involved in maladministration practices. SAMWU has submitted a list of unresolved grievances to the Office of the Municipal Manager for further engagement to try and seek amicable solutions and stabilize the administration of Matzikama Municipality and guard against maladministration, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The municipality is already facing financial challenges.

SAMWU is strongly opposed to the establishment of a fifth directorate at the municipality that has been approved by Council. We are of the view that the addition of a fifth directorate will add a financial burden on the municipality. This municipality has been the home of corruption for several years. The four directorates have been working well for the municipality and we see no reason why a fifth directorate has been established. This is an abuse of public funds at the expense of ratepayers. The funds could have been used to better service delivery for the greater community of the Matzikama area.

Amongst the list of unresolved grievances are the following:

• Disciplinary processes that are not consistent when it comes to Councillors and their favourites where serious allegations of fraud and corruption have been reported and to date no actions have been taken.
• Discrepancies related to the payment of Covid-19 compensation paid to certain employees and a precedent have been created by the employer.
• Nepotism has taken centre stage at Matzikama Municipality where friends and families of councillors are appointed.
• Appointments made through the recruitment and selection process based on posts that are not on the approved organogram structure of the municipality.
• Councillors interfering constantly in administration to ensure their friends and families are appointed.
• Unlawful write-offs that are made for people not qualifying to benefit from the equitable share funds from National Treasurer.
• Local Labour Forum (LLF) meetings as an extension of collective bargaining under the auspices of the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) not functioning properly.
• Employer engaged in unilateral restructuring where organised labour most of the time was not consulted, etcetera.

SAMWU furthermore believes that Council was misled by management with the establishment of a fifth directorate (Community Services), where there was no meaningful consultation in terms of Sections 84 and 85 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). We have submitted a request for a forensic investigation to be lodged against a certain Councillor by an independent party and to date this councillor is being protected. This includes investigating individuals who forged signatures during the placement process of staff.

Lastly, SAMWU is committed to ensuring improved service delivery is the order of the day by ensuring that the ratepayer’s monies are invested to better service delivery. We are demanding that the fifth directorate be scrapped with immediate effect as it will put the municipality under severe financial constraints. On the one hand, the management wants to cut overtime for workers as a cost containment measure but burdens the municipality with a fifth directorate that is going to cost the municipality millions of rands. Failure to address our demands and unresolved grievances will leave us no choice but to take to this fight to the streets.

Therefore, SAMWU is demanding that disciplinary actions be taken against the Councillor who was involved in corrupt and fraudulent actions without fear or favour as this Councillor benefitted unduly from indigent funding that is meant to assist the poor of the poorest. Being a councillor does not make you special or untouchable and they are all bound to the very same Code of Conduct for Councillors.

Issued by SAMWU Western Cape

John Mcanjana
Provincial Secretary
073 644 9580 / 064 628 0000

Peter Lewack
Regional Secretary
073 266 0634