This development comes after the Kopanong municipal council this week placed municipal manager, Martin Kubeka, on 30 days special leave pending the council’s own probe into maladministration allegations levelled against him by disgruntled employees.

Head of the Cogta Department in the province, Mokete Duma, explains to OFM News that Khoabane will be sending a task team to the financial burdened municipality to determine what areas pertaining to local governance in the area require improvement. Duma cautions this investigation should not be compared to a criminal one.

“They will also be focusing more on the financial recovery plan. Kopanong is one of the poorest municipalities in the province. By virtue of it falling under Xhariep, which is a dry area (therefore faces drought-like conditions),” explains Duma.

The task team, made up of members from various departments in the Free State, are expected to arrive at the municipality on Tuesday, March 19.

Kopanong, which includes the towns of Trompsburg, Edenburg, Jagersfontein and Fauresmith, is reportedly in such financial ruin, that it owes various pension funds between R50 and R 60 million.

Municipal workers downed tools on February 26, citing non-payment of salaries and third party contributions.

On Saturday, March 16, Kubeka declined to be interviewed by OFM News regarding his special leave and the subsequent investigations via text. He referred all questions to the Kopanong Mayor, Xolile Matwa.

The municipality and the union reached a payment agreement following a June 2018 march led by the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) regarding non-payment of third party contributions despite deductions being made from salaries.

In the agreement the municipality promised it would pay over medical aid contributions to the tune of R4.1 million as a matter of urgency. They further committed to taking 40% of the municipality’s equitable share of revenue raised nationally and pay it over towards pension and provident funds, focusing on paying over the contributions of retired employees and those near retirement first.

Kopanong, however, reneged on this plan, sparking the current outrage.

OFM News