The OR Tambo district municipality continues to pay thousands of rands to more than 400 casual employees despite council calling for proper verification first.
The council in February resolved the employees be issued with new contracts once the verification was complete. No payments were made in March, April and May.
The council resolution stated contracts should be terminated pending verification, and no payments should be made to casual employees as at March 2015.
The verification comes after the district municipality last year spent millions of rands paying casual workers R47000 each in backpay.
The money was meant for those casual workers who had been in the employ of the municipality before 2010.
The list of beneficiaries allegedly included relatives of councillors, some as young as 18 and others older than 70.
It is alleged that two weeks ago executive mayor Nomakhosazana Meth instructed that the salaries of casual workers again be paid.
The salaries, which amounted to nearly R1-million, were backdated to March.
Councillors who spoke to the Daily Dispatch claimed Meth had told senior management to effect the payments after casual workers embarked on a strike two weeks ago demanding the money.
Attempts to obtain comment from Meth were unsuccessful at the time of writing as her phone rang unanswered.
Municipal spokesman Ayongezwa Lungisa said such a council resolution may not even exist.
“We have requested records from the office of the speaker to have minutes from that council meeting.
“The mayoral committee was advised by the municipal manager after she sourced a legal opinion on the matter.
“It was indicated the institution has to pay employees for services rendered.”
Lungisa said he could not confirm whether it was indeed Meth who gave the instruction for the casuals to be paid.
ANC chief whip in council Jackson Sabona said he was aware of the resolution terminating the contracts of the casual employees until proper verification has been done.
“We said we must clean the system because there is an element of corruption. There was a view there must be an investigator to verify and those who have been verified will be captured in the system and offered new contracts.”
Sabona declined to comment on Meth’s alleged instruction.
DA councillor Chris Xhangayi said: “We heard the mayor told management to pay casuals even though council resolved to terminate the contracts.
“We are worried about the way the municipality is being run.”
The UDM’s Mncedisi Bunzana said council had not rescinded its February resolution for the termination of casuals’ contracts and therefore did not understand how they were paid.
“We heard the casual workers were paid. This was done against the council resolution, which said those contracts should be terminated. We are told the mayor gave that instruction.”
COPE’s Mandla Gogo said the “mischievous” person who instructed the OR Tambo administration to pay casual workers should be brought to book.
“We took a resolution that the contracts be terminated. Some mischievous person decided to undermine the council and do her own thing and pay the casual workers.
“When there are no consequences for transgressions against council things like this always happen. This person needs to be held accountable.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
OR Tambo mayor ‘goes against decision’
The council in February resolved the employees be issued with new contracts once the verification was complete. No payments were made in March, April and May.
The council resolution stated contracts should be terminated pending verification, and no payments should be made to casual employees as at March 2015.
The verification comes after the district municipality last year spent millions of rands paying casual workers R47000 each in backpay.
The money was meant for those casual workers who had been in the employ of the municipality before 2010.
The list of beneficiaries allegedly included relatives of councillors, some as young as 18 and others older than 70.
It is alleged that two weeks ago executive mayor Nomakhosazana Meth instructed that the salaries of casual workers again be paid.
The salaries, which amounted to nearly R1-million, were backdated to March.
Councillors who spoke to the Daily Dispatch claimed Meth had told senior management to effect the payments after casual workers embarked on a strike two weeks ago demanding the money.
Attempts to obtain comment from Meth were unsuccessful at the time of writing as her phone rang unanswered.
Municipal spokesman Ayongezwa Lungisa said such a council resolution may not even exist.
“We have requested records from the office of the speaker to have minutes from that council meeting.
“The mayoral committee was advised by the municipal manager after she sourced a legal opinion on the matter.
“It was indicated the institution has to pay employees for services rendered.”
Lungisa said he could not confirm whether it was indeed Meth who gave the instruction for the casuals to be paid.
ANC chief whip in council Jackson Sabona said he was aware of the resolution terminating the contracts of the casual employees until proper verification has been done.
“We said we must clean the system because there is an element of corruption. There was a view there must be an investigator to verify and those who have been verified will be captured in the system and offered new contracts.”
Sabona declined to comment on Meth’s alleged instruction.
DA councillor Chris Xhangayi said: “We heard the mayor told management to pay casuals even though council resolved to terminate the contracts.
“We are worried about the way the municipality is being run.”
The UDM’s Mncedisi Bunzana said council had not rescinded its February resolution for the termination of casuals’ contracts and therefore did not understand how they were paid.
“We heard the casual workers were paid. This was done against the council resolution, which said those contracts should be terminated. We are told the mayor gave that instruction.”
COPE’s Mandla Gogo said the “mischievous” person who instructed the OR Tambo administration to pay casual workers should be brought to book.
“We took a resolution that the contracts be terminated. Some mischievous person decided to undermine the council and do her own thing and pay the casual workers.
“When there are no consequences for transgressions against council things like this always happen. This person needs to be held accountable.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
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