At least 12 municipalities failed to pay June and July salaries — Samwu

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At least 12 municipalities in SA failed to pay salaries in June and July after the National Treasury withheld equitable share allocations, says the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu).According to Samwu, the Free State has been hardest hit, with Maluti-a-Phofung, Mantsopa, Mafube, Mohokare and Masilonyana municipalities formally confirming their inability to pay salaries, and warning of further delays.The union said it had received reports that workers at Kopanong local municipality had not been paid despite the municipality not issuing a formal explanation to employees.“In the Northern Cape, workers at Thembelihle, Renosterberg and !Kheis municipalities have experienced delayed salary payments, while Kareeberg local municipality informed employees they would only receive payment on Monday. “Workers at iMpendle local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal have also been affected by delayed or unpaid salaries. In the North West, Tswaing local municipality workers are still awaiting their June and July salaries while the municipality waits for the balance of its equitable share allocation.”Tswaing municipality notice on salary delays (supp) Although Mopani district municipality in Limpopo managed to pay employees despite not receiving its equitable share, Samwu warned that its ability to continue doing so was uncertain.The National Treasury recently revealed that it had withheld R13.5bn from 69 municipalities, saying it would only release a third of the money once municipalities proved they were paying creditors in line with signed repayment agreements.According to Samwu, some municipalities had already been facing serious cash-flow and revenue collection challenges, and the withholding of equitable share allocations had worsened the situation.“The equitable share is not a favour or a discretionary gift from the National Treasury. It is a constitutionally recognised allocation intended to enable municipalities to fulfill their developmental and service delivery obligations,” said Samwu.The union said withholding the funding had removed a critical financial lifeline, increasing the likelihood that more municipal workers would go unpaid. “Behind every unpaid salary is a worker and a family being pushed deeper into poverty.” Samwu has called for a wide array of actions: the immediate release of all outstanding equitable share allocations to affected municipalities, payment of outstanding June and July salaries, settlement of pension, medical aid and bargaining council contributions, compensation for workers who suffered financial losses because of delayed salaries, and urgent intervention by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the cabinet, the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs and provincial governments.The union also called for officials and political office-bearers responsible for financial misconduct to be held personally accountable.Sowetan