SAMWU DEMANDS IMMEDIATE SALARY PAYMENT AND CONSEQUENCE MANAGEMENT AT WATERBERG DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
24 October 2025
SAMWU DEMANDS IMMEDIATE SALARY PAYMENT AND CONSEQUENCE MANAGEMENT AT WATERBERG DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) notes with extreme agitation the inexcusable failure
by the Waterberg District Municipality in Limpopo province to pay its workers their contractual salaries for
the month of October which were due today, October 24, 2025. This breach of contract is not just an
administrative oversight, but also an act of economic negligence against the very employees tasked with
delivering essential services to the residents of the district.
The municipal management’s response, a brief, 26-word memo, is noted for its striking lack of empathy and
its failure to provide a guaranteed date for payment. This inadequate communication is indicative of an
employer that simply does not care for the financial well-being of its workforce. For many municipal workers
who live hand-to-mouth, this delay is devastating. Their monthly budgets are shattered, resulting in bounced
debit orders, incurring avoidable bank charges, and threatening their and their families’ financial stability.
It is an act of profound disrespect that workers are currently on duty, expected to maintain service delivery to
the community, while their own contractual salaries has been withheld. This crisis highlights a fundamental
flaw in the municipality’s financial management and a deep disregard for fair labour practice. SAMWU
condemns the lack of seriousness and transparency with which the management has handled this crisis, which
borders on a deliberate violation of workers’ basic rights.
As SAMWU, we issue the following non-negotiable demands to the Waterberg District Municipality. First,
we demand the immediate and full payment of all outstanding October salaries to every municipal worker
without any further delay. Second, we demand that the municipality must launch a thorough, independent
investigation into the cause of this payment failure.
This investigation must conclude with swift and decisive consequence management for all those found
responsible for this lapse, to ensure that such an operational and contractual failure is never repeated. Should
the Municipality fail to comply with these demands instantly, SAMWU will be compelled to explore all
available avenues, including legal action and industrial mobilisation, to protect the rights of its members.
Issued by SAMWU Secretariat
Dumisane Magagula
General Secretary
076 580 4029
Or
Nkhetheni Muthavhi
Deputy General Secretary
082 526 5224
Or
Papikie Mohale
National Media Officer
076 795 8670