The Emfuleni Local Municipality in the Vaal is facing controversy after it was revealed that a senior manager received a staggering R132 374.09 for accrued leave in 2021, violating the municipality’s Leave Administration Policy.
This payout raises suspicions, especially since it occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic when employees were expected to work from home, eliminating the need for accrued leave due to operational services.
According to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Jacob Mamabolo, the senior manager was employed in 2017 and held a managerial position.
The municipality’s policy states that employees can retain a maximum of 48 days of accrued leave, with excess leave forfeited unless accrued for operational purposes.
Mamabolo was replying to a written question by the DA in the legislature on Friday.
Mamabolo further explained that no other employee had encashed leave since 2021 when the senior manager in question took leave.
“The leave encashment of Mnguni contravenes the Emfuleni Local Municipality Leave Administration Policy, 2022, which stipulates that an employee is entitled to retain a maximum of forty-eight (48) days of accrued leave; any leave in excess of this is forfeited at the end of the leave cycle unless it was accrued due to operational purposes,” the MEC said.
The DA has demanded an urgent investigation into the payout, citing concerns over the municipality's spending and finances. Residents have been struggling with access to uninterrupted water supply and pothole-filled roads.
To make matters worse, Eskom has attached the municipality’s bank accounts over an unpaid debt of R8 billion. This has resulted in the municipality failing to pay its workers.
However, Emfuleni municipal spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni claimed the municipality was not bankrupt. Once the attachment issue was resolved, they would return to optimal functionality.
DA’s Kingsol Chabalala said: “The revelations raise concerns about the municipality's expenditures, as only one employee received a large sum of money for accrued days and the DA has been reliably informed that some employees who applied for leave encashment were denied.
“The DA demands that MEC Mamabolo launch an urgent investigation into the handling of this payout. We need to know why Mnguni’s wasteful payout was allowed given the financial struggles the municipality finds itself in.”
He said residents didn’t have access to uninterrupted water supply, adding that roads were full of potholes.
“Eskom has attached the municipality’s bank accounts. The money wasted could have been utilised to address some of these difficulties and help provide better services to Emfuleni residents who have been struggling for years now.
“A DA government will implement Emfuleni’s Leave Administration Policy and ensure that the municipality’s financial resources are used to benefit residents rather than a select few individuals.”
Chabalala added that the party was dedicated to uncovering and eliminating wasteful spending in a time of scarcity and inadequate service delivery in the crumbing Emfuleni municipality.
When questioned about the allegations, Sangweni told The Star that he was unable to respond to questions about the senior manager’s monies he got from his leave, saying that he was waiting for the brief from both the Human Resources Department and the office of the Municipal Manager.
Sangweni, however, admitted that the municipality failed to pay workers due to the power utility’s decision to attach its assets.
“True we have not been paid due to Eskom attaching our accounts. The municipality is not bankrupt and far from it, our money is in our accounts which are currently attached by Eskom. Once attachment matter is resolved, we shall be back to optimal functionality,” he added.
The Star