OFM News has been reliably informed that no-one at the municipality, including Councillors, the Mayor, Xolile Matwa and the Municipal Manager, Martin Kubeka have been paid, resulting in what appears to be the early rumblings of unrest. Municipal spokesperson, Solomzi Phama referred all media questions on the matter to Kubeka. The Municipal Manager is yet to respond to calls and SMSes requesting comment. This is not the first time that it has been reported that the municipality is financially burdened.

In November 2018, the municipality obtained a court order from the Free State High Court effectively blocking an auction of its vehicles at the eleventh hour. This, as the Municipal Workers Retirement Fund (MWRF) obtained an order from the High Court to have the municipality’s assets attached for auction to ensure that the municipality would settle outstanding pension fund contributions, which runs into the millions. The municipality was on the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Zweli Mkhize’s 2018 list of nine dysfunctional municipalities in the province that require urgent intervention. The municipality continues to be heavily indebted to Bloem Water, despite intervention from the provincial government and Free State Premier, Sisi Ntombela.

Phama explained to OFM News previously that the pension fund contributions have been outstanding since before the nine towns and local administrations of Bethulie, Edenburg, Fauresmith, Gariepdam, Jagersfontein, Phillippolis, Reddersburg, Springfontein, and Trompsburg were amalgamated to form Kopanong. He said at the time they are doing everything they can to sort out the problem.

OFM News