Durban — More than 200 employees in uThukela District Municipality are said to have not been paid their salaries.
The workers, whom opposition parties had complained that they were mysteriously hired because of their association with the IFP, or had close ties with mayor Inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala, were due to get their first salaries on June 25 but this did not happen.
One of the employees, who spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, said nothing was deposited by the municipality into their bank accounts on their pay day.
The employee, who confirmed that he is an IFP member, said municipal officials told them to wait but still the money had not been paid.
He said they had heard that the administrator raised questions about their employment without his approval and therefore flagged their payment. The employee said they were employed without going through interviews.
On Monday, they had a meeting with municipal officials from the mayor’s office who asked them to be patient while they were pushing for their formal employment.
This was because the administrator had prevented the payment, saying they were not employees of the municipality.
“The posts were advertised but we were called to quickly come and sign employment contracts without interviews. We have heard that the administrator had said we are not employees of the municipality, so we will not be paid since he did not approve our employment,” said the employee.
National People’s Assembly leader Nkosinathi Mthethwa, who has been vocal about the employment, said he felt vindicated by what had happened, saying Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the IFP should release their findings since they said the allegations were being investigated.
“When we raised the issues we were called names, but today I feel vindicated. Workers have confessed to me that indeed they were employed without interviews. This is nepotism which must be exposed,” said Mthethwa.
Two weeks ago, the mayor defended the non-payment of “ghost employees”, saying the month had not yet ended and there was no reason for workers to be worried.
He denied that there was a problem with their employment, saying the administrator had not alerted him that there was an issue with the employment of the staff. He had promised that they would be paid by the end of the month.
Attempts to get a comment from the mayor on Thursday were unsuccessful.
The administrator, Nkosinathi Madondo, referred the paper to Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson Senzo Mzila, who said the issue was an operational matter which had to be addressed by the municipality.
Daily News