Trade union SAMWU in the Free State says municipalities have been making deductions from the salaries of employees but failed to pay third parties. This was heard at the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) provincial conference in Bloemfontein.
The union’s provincial secretary Tiisetso Mahlatsi bemoaned municipalities that failed to pay workers their dues upon retiring, and made late payments of salaries. Mahlatsi has described the practice as corruption.
“For workers to work for a very long time, but when they go on retirement they are unable to receive their reserves that have been paid for, for years, because municipalities are deducting salaries and are not paying over to third parties which we view as corruption. We lost employees while working but their families are unable to access their risk benefits,” says Mahlatsi.
Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance Mxolisi Dukwana says there’s a need for decisive and accountable leadership in municipalities. He says many municipalities have been struggling with bad audit outcomes.
“People who are given responsibilities are actually short in terms of providing honourable and ethical and decisive leadership. People have actually decided to use the leadership position instead of serving the people to enrich themselves, and in some instances leaving municipalities in a dysfunctional state,” Dukwana explains.
