Ten SA municipalities struggle with salary payments

TEN municipalities have been fingered for failing to pay salaries of municipal employees in at least five provinces since April this year.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA [e-mail]

The implicated municipalities are located in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, North West, Mpumalanga, and the Northern Cape.

The culprits are Mafube, Kopanong, Mohokare, Impendle, Jozini, Nkomazi, Thaba Chweu, !Kheis, Ditsobotla, and Mamusa local municipalities.

Kopanong, Thaba Chweu, and Ditsobotla local municipalities have a history of nonpayment of employee salaries, as they had been experiencing the same issue during the 2024/25 financial year.

This was revealed by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, when he responded in writing to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Constance Nonhlanhla Mkhonto.

He explained that a municipal manager was responsible for the management of the expenditure of the municipality, and was also mandated to report to the council on all expenditure incurred by the municipality on staff salaries, wages, allowances, and benefits.