Last week Thursday, the acting Municipal Manager, Kadimo Masekoane, announced the salary delay to all employees and councillors of the municipality after they were not paid on the 15th. He said the municipality is under serious financial stress and as a result, the municipality is solely relying on equitable shares from National Treasury to pay salaries and render basic services to the community.

Masekoane further said that the National Treasury has withheld the equitable share of the municipality due to the non-compliance to the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA) prescripts and the non-existence of the office bureau (mayor, speaker and chief whip), which is a legislative requirement to monitor and oversee the financial expenditure and performance of the municipality.

Masekoane explained that the municipality has tried three times to assemble a council to elect the individuals to fulfil these important roles. As a result of all these hiccups, salaries of all employees was not paid yet, as anticipated due to a lack of funds.

OFM News’ Olebogeng Motse reported in an internal memorandum by Masekoane, dated July 23, it is revealed that municipality managed to receive funding from the provincial government and will, as a result, be paying the salaries of all employees on or before Friday 26 July, with the exception of senior managers and councillors.

OFM News/Tumelo Khota