Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Igor Scheurkogel and Sesotho by Karabo Khakhau MP.
Residents of Matjhabeng Local Municipality have been held ransom for 8 weeks by the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) strike, resulting in a total collapse of service delivery to the community. In a surprising move, the ANC-led council has supported the salary payments of workers participating in the strike.
At the Special Council on 20 March, held on an online platform, ANC councillors unanimously voted in favour of paying all officials who participated in the SAMWU strike their salaries for February with the condition they will pay it back over 3 months. The Executive Mayor wanted to justify that this option is still within the no work no pay framework of the Labour Relations Act.
The DA in Matjhabeng voted against this decision and firmly indicated in the council sitting that we can’t pay these officials who have disrupted service delivery for 8 weeks. Furthermore, residents have been paying their accounts but have not received any services as required by the municipality.
The SAMWU gangster-style strike by officials has sabotaged service delivery. Not surprising is the strike is a direct result of the ANC’s cadre deployment in the administration. The ANC are incapable of implementing consequent management on their members because they fear that it will harm their voter block. The ANC only cares about votes and not about the people who month in and month out diligently pay their rates and taxes which in the end pay officials’ salaries.
On 29 May 2024, South Africa has the opportunity to stop cadre deployment and vote for the only party that will make cadre deployment illegal, to ensure that the government is professionalised and residents get the service they deserve. Vote for the only party that has a track record of good governance and real service delivery. Vote DA to rescue South Africa.