Union wants to stop minister from withholding funds to 'dysfunctional' municipalities

The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has threatened to take Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to court to fight his plan to withhold this month's grants to 39 municipalities.

- By Boitumelo Kgobotlo

Dumisani Magongwa, Samwu general secretary, told Sunday World the union is already gathering information to prepare a robust response, including a legal challenge.

“We are actively exploring all legal avenues available to us to protect our members’ rights, including challenging any unlawful withholding of funds that directly impacts workers’ livelihoods. Just recently, working with our provincial office in the Northern Cape, we approached the high court to compel the Kheis Local Municipality to pay workers their salaries. We are prepared to take similar decisive legal action where necessary,” said Magongwa.

The union is demanding urgent meetings with Godongwana and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to discuss alternatives that do not punish municipal employees for the failure of political leaders and management.

Magongwa told Sunday World that withholding the grants could bring local government to its knees and plunge thousands of its members into deeper financial crisis.