By Bhekizenzo Zonele
Some employees at Zululand District Municipality have still not been paid their September salaries, prompting KZN COGTA to order an investigation and the ANC to demand answers about the municipality’s finances.
The ANC Mzala Nxumalo Region said it was “deeply concerned and angered” by the situation.
“We can confirm that some municipal employees have still not received their salaries. This is unacceptable,” the party said.
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It called on National COGTA to investigate the governance and administrative circumstances behind the salary crisis, while asking National Treasury to look at the municipality’s financial position, cash flow, grant management and expenditure.
It also called on the Auditor-General to examine whether there had been any breaches of financial-management requirements, irregular expenditure, financial misconduct or other forms of maladministration.
The intervention came after KwaZulu-Natal COGTA MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi expressed alarm over media reports that employees at the municipality had not received their September salaries.
Buthelezi directed the department’s head, Scelo Duma, to immediately investigate the cause of the non-payment and implement remedial measures to ensure salaries were paid within 48 hours.
He also instructed the department to enforce consequence management against officials responsible for financial misconduct.
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“We will not tolerate any municipality that does not respect the rights of workers, be it Impendle or Zululand – we will act without fear or favour,” Buthelezi said.
The ANC said it had received information suggesting the municipality could be experiencing serious cash-flow difficulties and that an incoming Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) allocation could potentially be used to meet salary obligations.
“We want to be absolutely clear: MIG is a conditional grant intended to support municipal infrastructure and basic-service infrastructure for poor communities,” the party said.
“If there is an attempt to divert, redirect or improperly utilise infrastructure grant funding to address an operational salary crisis, that would be an extremely serious matter requiring immediate investigation and accountability.”
The party demanded to know how many employees remained unpaid, why salaries were not paid on time, where the municipality’s cash was, what its current financial position was and what had happened to money budgeted for salaries.
It also asked whether the municipality was waiting for MIG or other grant funding to meet salary obligations and whether any conditional grant funding had been redirected or considered for purposes other than those for which it was allocated.
The ANC also rejected an explanation reportedly issued by the municipality linking the salary delay to the Heritage Day public holiday.
“A public holiday does not suddenly absolve a municipality of its responsibility to plan properly, manage its finances responsibly and ensure that employees are paid when they are due,” the party said.
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The ANC further called for the municipality to communicate directly with affected employees and provide a “clear and credible timetable” for the payment of all outstanding salaries.
Zululand District Municipality is governed by the IFP.
