Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Hessie Shebe and Sesotho by Karabo Khakhau MP.
The Kopanong Local Municipality informed employees that, due to unforeseen circumstances and current financial constraints, salaries for April and May 2024 will be paid on 8 July after the municipality receives its equitable share. The municipality acknowledges ongoing challenges with its FNB account, which still holds funds intended for municipal operations.
The delay in salary disbursements, coupled with lapses in employee insurance and missed car payments, exacerbates the financial strain on the workforce and threatens the well-being of the community. Additionally, in a well-run municipality, the equitable share is used to subsidise indigent consumers, yet due to the financial state of Kopanong, this is now used for operational needs.
Furthermore, municipal workers have downed tools after enduring months of late or non-existent payments due to the ANC’s incompetence.
The DA is committed to addressing this crisis. We pledge to work tirelessly to ensure that employees promptly receive their overdue salaries. Additionally, we will engage with relevant authorities in the council to expedite payment arrangements and alleviate further financial hardships.
The municipality must fulfil its obligations to its employees and the community. We remain steadfast in our determination to find swift and effective solutions to this pressing issue.
The municipality’s inability to effectively deliver basic services to all residents stems from diminished state capacity. The policy of cadre deployment is the root cause of the public service’s reduced capacity, as appointments to key public service roles are made based on political affiliation.
One of the first priorities of a DA government will be to establish an effective, professional, and merit-based public service system with a sole focus on delivering quality services to all South Africans. We will ensure that there is provincial oversight to ensure that municipalities implement good governance practices.