Martin Kubeka's suspension follows the financial troubles at the municipality which left workers unpaid for at least three months. This, after the municipal account was attached by the Free State High Court over a R26 million debt to the workers' pension fund. 

Kubeka was recently warned about his suspension, but later in a turn of events was suspended.

The municipal council has since appointed Cecilia Pitso as the Acting Manager. 

OFM News previously reported that the Head of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Mokete Duma, said the lack of consequence management at Kopanong had comprised the municipality's operations.

READ: Consequence management will be instated at Kopanong - Cogta

The municipality has been plunged into financial distress with its bank account attached for failing to pay workers' pension funds since 2012. 

The Free State South African Municipal Workers Union's (Samwu) provincial secretary, Tiisetso Mahlatsi, previously told OFM News that the leadership of the Municipality should take the blame for the financial crisis currently besieging the municipality. 

“The unfortunate part is that the institution is run by people, whether you are new or old, when you ascend to an office you take everything. So, the current management must take the blame because it’s institutional blame. It’s a crisis and unfortunately, we have been raising this issue of non-payment of third parties for a long time, even with the ruling party, but there is no commitment and no seriousness even from the ruling party because they can’t say that they are failing to control their deployees," he said. 

The municipality has however managed to pay workers' salaries for the month of September, October and November and has since committed to pay them for December.

OFM News