This is according to a DA councillor at the Welkom-based municipality, Piet Botha, who said the municipal workers should never have been disadvantaged because of the municipal management's dire financial straits and failure to govern the municipality properly. Botha's statements come after municipal workers embarked on a shut-down three days ago after their medical aid, death, funeral and disability policies lapsed following the municipality's failure to pay over these fees to their intended third-party beneficiaries.

"Earlier this year, we had the same situation and we investigated the matters and the arrears were paid but we didn't know of the current situation. We are sympathising with those people," Botha said. He further said that the opposition party in the Matjhabeng region will be writing to Cogta MEC, Oupa Khoabane, as well as MEC of Finance, Elzabe Rockman, asking them to intervene on both the financial and management matters at the municipality.

OFM News earlier spoke to the Matjhabeng Mayor, Nkosenjani Speelman, who did not deny claims made by the protesting workers with regards to their third-party payments lapsing and not being paid over. The Matjhabeng mayor, in fact, admitted to OFM News that the municipality is facing a financial crisis as it cannot pay the third party agents it is said to be owing money to. He said these agents would only be paid once the money was available to pay these third-party agents. Speelman is currently in Cape Town and said he would return to Welkom on Thursday to address the workers’ issues.

OFM News