FRESH calls have been made for the cash-strapped Makana municipality to be placed under provincial administration after workers were not paid their salaries on time yesterday.
Local South African Municipal Workers’ Union chair Zola Kolisi urged Bhisho to take over the affairs of the local authority after angry workers gathered outside the Grahamstown City Hall, demanding answers.
Although some workers who bank with large institutions got their money later yesterday, Kolisi said others were still waiting for their pay.
Although there have been similar problems since 2011, they had been assured earlier this year – when they were not paid on time – that it would not happen again.
According to Kolisi, the cash-strapped local authority owed creditors in excess of R130-million going back at least six months in some cases.
Hot on the heels of the latest financial fiasco, the Grahamstown-based Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) yesterday called on residents to gather at City Hall at noon tomorrow to voice their dissatisfaction at the way the local authority was being run.
“The situation in Grahamstown has become a national scandal,” UPM chair Ayanda Kota said. “It affects the poor, it affects the workers and it affects the middle classes ... it is time for us all to unite and say ‘enough is enough’.”
Kota blamed “vultures” in the bankrupt municipality for the ongoing cash crisis, which has seen mayor Zamuxolo Peter’s official car being attached by the sheriff of the court and auctioned for a fraction of its value to pay a contractor.
Roads in the City of Saints are falling apart and water outages are a regular occurrence. “Our town is broken,” Kota said in a statement.
“The politicians are massively corrupt; the auditor-general has issued a damning report; there is huge corruption but almost no development.”
Tomorrow’s planned march will call for the municipality to be dissolved and a competent and honest administrator appointed until a new municipal council has been elected.
Although Makana municipal spokeswoman Yoliswa Ramokolo yesterday told the Daily Dispatch all the workers had been paid by 9am, this was denied by Kolisi.
Ramokolo later said the municipal bank account was attached on Friday by a contractor who had not been paid. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Fresh call for G’town to be run by administrator
Local South African Municipal Workers’ Union chair Zola Kolisi urged Bhisho to take over the affairs of the local authority after angry workers gathered outside the Grahamstown City Hall, demanding answers.
Although some workers who bank with large institutions got their money later yesterday, Kolisi said others were still waiting for their pay.
Although there have been similar problems since 2011, they had been assured earlier this year – when they were not paid on time – that it would not happen again.
According to Kolisi, the cash-strapped local authority owed creditors in excess of R130-million going back at least six months in some cases.
Hot on the heels of the latest financial fiasco, the Grahamstown-based Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) yesterday called on residents to gather at City Hall at noon tomorrow to voice their dissatisfaction at the way the local authority was being run.
“The situation in Grahamstown has become a national scandal,” UPM chair Ayanda Kota said. “It affects the poor, it affects the workers and it affects the middle classes ... it is time for us all to unite and say ‘enough is enough’.”
Kota blamed “vultures” in the bankrupt municipality for the ongoing cash crisis, which has seen mayor Zamuxolo Peter’s official car being attached by the sheriff of the court and auctioned for a fraction of its value to pay a contractor.
Roads in the City of Saints are falling apart and water outages are a regular occurrence. “Our town is broken,” Kota said in a statement.
“The politicians are massively corrupt; the auditor-general has issued a damning report; there is huge corruption but almost no development.”
Tomorrow’s planned march will call for the municipality to be dissolved and a competent and honest administrator appointed until a new municipal council has been elected.
Although Makana municipal spokeswoman Yoliswa Ramokolo yesterday told the Daily Dispatch all the workers had been paid by 9am, this was denied by Kolisi.
Ramokolo later said the municipal bank account was attached on Friday by a contractor who had not been paid. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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