Mokete Duma says the department does not want to put the cart before the horses but they will definitely ensure that those responsible for the financial crisis are brought to book. OFM News has previously reported that the Free State High Court slapped the municipality with an adverse order, which saw the municipal account attached by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), following failure by the municipality since 2012 to pay pension fund and other third party contributions. Duma says first things first - they want to see how they can help the municipality to be self-sustainable, meet the obligations, and pay salaries and pension fund contributions.

The municipal workers at the municipality are yet to receive their salaries after two months, as a result of the attached account due to third-party debt, which stands at R26 million. 

“A team will investigate who must actually be held responsible for the negligent behaviour,” Duma adds.

OFM News previously reported that the municipal workers of the troubled municipality are set to soon breathe a sigh of relief.  Duma told OFM News the Provincial Department of Treasury and Cogta reached an agreement which could see workers finally receiving their monies this Friday. Duma said the troubled municipality will be assisted, through the Xhariep District Municipality, to ensure that the R26 million pension debt to Samwu will be attended to.

“We have to look into what needs to be done to make the municipality sustainable, and among the things that we have already done, is that we have developed a financial recovery plan which we will still have to adapt. We will check whether the current council will adopt it, or the newly elected council will do so. But remember, the financial recovery plan is to ensure sustainability over a period of time, so that’s what we are currently working on,” he added.

OFM News