By Johnathan Paoli
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has welcomed the National Treasury’s decision to hold municipal managers accountable for failing to meet statutory obligations related to workers’ deductions for pensions, medical aid, and funeral policies.
Samwu general secretary, Dumisane Magagula, said that the intervention comes as municipal employees nationwide grapple with the absence of pensions, despite regular deductions from their salaries.
“This is not just a financial crisis but a humanitarian disaster and a profound moral failing that demands urgent and uncompromising action,” Magagula said.
Magagula said that the Treasury’s reaffirmation of the Municipal Finance Management Act provisions highlights the fiduciary duty of municipal managers to ensure the timely and full payment of statutory deductions.
Failure to fulfill this responsibility, he added, constitutes a violation of workers’ rights, a breach of trust, and a betrayal of the very employees who sustain municipal operations.
While welcoming the deadline for the outstanding contributions to be paid by the end of the new financial year, Magagula criticised further delays of a problem that should have been addressed earlier.
“Every day that passes without these funds being paid deepens the suffering of workers and their families,” he said.
In addition, he commended the Financial Services Conduct Authority for identifying defaulting employers and pursuing legal measures to recover unpaid contributions; but called for more to be done to ensure swift compliance.
He said his union would continue working alongside Cosatu to demand justice and accountability, and that Samwu would intensify its efforts to open criminal charges against delinquent municipal managers.
“This issue transcends financial mismanagement, it is about protecting the dignity of workers, safeguarding their futures, and restoring the trust that has been so gravely undermined,” Magagula said.
The municipal workers’ union also called on all municipal employees to remain vigilant and report any irregularities in deductions and payments.
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