The attachment has left the municipality unable to meet its payroll obligations for January. In a communique signed by acting municipal manager Mojalefa Motlale, workers were informed that the municipality currently cannot pay salaries due to the Sars action. 

Parts of the letter seen by OFM News indicate January salaries will be delayed while municipal management engages with SARS in an attempt to have the attachment lifted or the full account reinstated. The municipality apologised for the inconvenience and assured staff that further updates would be communicated as discussions progress.

The Theunissen-based municipality has become synonymous with financial instability, frequent account attachments, and late salary payments. 

Masilonyana has battled persistent challenges, including poor revenue collection, unpaid municipal services by debtors, and declining income from utilities and other revenue streams.

Last year, the cash-strapped municipality again made headlines when members of parliament criticised its leadership, accusing management of misgovernance and running the institution into the ground. 

Auditors reportedly struggled for years to obtain proper financial records.

The municipality has also lost several legal battles against former legal manager Itumeleng Mogaecho, resulting in the attachment of assets to cover pension payouts and costs linked to constructive dismissal.

Masilonyana has, for several years, failed to deliver service, leaving residents without reliable access to water, electricity, and waste collection services. Further compounding its challenges, Mayor Dimakatso Modise faced criticism for allegedly misleading parliament over a controversial trip to KwaZulu-Natal using a state vehicle.

Modise is among several mayors in the province who were recalled by the ANC, largely due to poor service delivery performance and related concerns.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh