Mafube Municipality can’t pay salaries until March 2024
Mafube Municipality owes millions to various retirement funds it has not paid contributions to for at least six years
It will be a very bleak Christmas for municipal workers of Mafube Local Municipality and their families, as they won’t be receiving their salaries for the next three months.
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MAFUBE MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES DELT A BLOW
On Monday the municipality’s acting manager Mothusi Lepheana, sent out two letters, one addressed to councillors and the other to municipal workers of the non payment of salaries.
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Lepheana has blamed a high court order granted to the Municipal Workers Retirement Fund, to garnish all the municipalities accounts.
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According to SowetanLive, as of 30 April 2023, the cash strapped municipality has not paid any money into the retirement fund for a little more than six years.
It has also failed to pay contributions to the Municipal Councillors Pension Fund for four years.
EFF CALLS ON LABOUR TO BACK EMPLOYEES
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EFF Fezile Dabi Statement On Non-payment Of Salaries By Mafube Local Municipality#effvoterregistration#feziledabiregion pic.twitter.com/8aXhzyPqWm
— EFF FEZILE DABI REGION (@FezileDabi2013) December 11, 2023
The Economic Freedom Fighters in the Fezile Dabe Region, says the collapse did not happen overnight, but has been in a dire state for a decade.
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“The municipality has previously been placed under administration and matters only worstened”, says regional chairperson April Motaung.
“Service delivery has been non-existent and now the human capital is also bearing the brunt of corruption and incompetence.”
The EFF has demanded that the Office of the Premier, Provincial Treasury and Cogta (Department of CoOperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) to intervene.