The municipality has since sent a communique informing workers that they will receive R1000 food vouchers to be used at one of the food retail stores. According to the communique sent to workers, the vouchers are limited to food stock but can be used for other important commodities such as the purchase of prepaid electricity. 

Workers, including amongst others councillors, were set to access these vouchers from Friday 17 June around 15h00 until Wednesday 22 June 2022 at 18h00.

Workers have not been paid for May due to cash flow issues.

ALSO READ: Free State municipality fails to pay workers yet again

The municipality is yet to comment on OFM News' inquiry.

According to the Auditor-General (AG), Tsakani Maluleke, says Masilonyana is among three Free State municipalities which failed to account for money spent.

ALSO READ: Free State municipalities fail to trace taxpayers' money

The decision to give workers food vouchers was taken following a meeting with workers' unions to mitigate the effects of delayed May 2022 salaries.

However, in a second letter sent to workers in relation to the payment of salaries, the Acting Municipal Manager, Lungile Mokoteli, says the municipality is working towards speeding up the process of fixing this and trying to have salaries paid as soon as possible.

In 2021, around this month, the municipality again approached the department of Cooperative Governance (Cogta) for a bailout after it also again failed to pay its workers. However, the Head of the Department (HOD), Mokete Duma, said the municipality will not be receiving bailout due to depleted funds aimed at assisting municipalities.

ALSO READ: No bail-out for troubled Masilonyana municipality - FS Cogta

In 2022, the municipality is again part of eleven cash-strapped Free State municipalities which have reportedly approached the provincial departments of Treasury and Cogta for bailouts, merely two months after the 2021/22 financial year-end.

ALSO READ: Eleven Free State municipalities beg for a bailout

OFM News