Central SA
Mohokare again fails to pay workers─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 12:16 Thu, 07 Nov 2024
Employees of the cash-strapped Mohokare municipality in the southern Free State have called for intervention after not receiving their October salaries.
Earlier this week, workers downed tools alleging that the municipality has repeatedly failed to make salary payments, as well as payments to third parties, including medical aid providers, pension funds, and funeral policies. The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) shop steward, Sendra Harvey, described the severe consequences this has had on workers and their dependents.
“The situation on the ground is very bad,” said Harvey. “SALA provident fund has attached the municipality’s bank accounts, and salaries for October have not been paid.
“Our members are suffering – when they go to hospitals or doctors, they’re turned away because their medical aid has lapsed. Imagine a very sick person being told they can’t receive treatment. Funeral policies are in arrears, so people struggle to bury loved ones, and education policies have lapsed, preventing children from attending school.”
Harvey said the impact has extended to basic services for the broader community. A broken component at a pump station has left Zastron residents without water, adding strain to an already difficult situation.
The mayor of the ailing municipality, Zingisa Mgawuli, previously said the municipality’s cash flow issues are due to low revenue collection. “We’re only collecting about R1.5 million, while our expenses are around R16 million [monthly],” she explained.
“At one point, the municipality was even using a conditional grant to pay salaries, which meant we neglected revenue collection. This created the illusion of available funds, but those funds were intended for specific projects, not operational costs.”
Mohokare is one of several Free State municipalities faced with financial instability, with salary delays becoming a recurring issue over the past years.
Samwu and the community have called for swift intervention from provincial and national authorities to stabilise municipal finances and ensure essential services are delivered without interruption.
OFM News has contacted the municipality for comment.
