Protesting Matjhabeng Local Municipality workers dumped piles of rubbish and burnt tyres outside the offices in Welkom on Friday morning after they were told that they would not be paid until the end of the month.
- The situation at the Matjhabeng Local Municipality’s Welkom office remained tense on Friday.
- Hundreds of municipal workers continued their protest action which started on Wednesday after none of them received their salaries for October.
- The municipality said its account was frozen a day before payments were to be made amid ongoing legal battles with service providers.
- An attempt by the municipality to secure a court order to allow it to pay its workers has apparently failed.
- In a letter the municipal manager said that they hoped to access the issue resolved by the pause of October.
The situation at the Matjhabeng Local Municipality’s offices in Welkom remains tense on Friday as hundreds of municipal workers continue their protests, demanding their unpaid salaries.
On Thursday, GroundUp reported on a sit-in by workers led by South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) after thousands of Matjhabeng workers, including the mayor, did not receive their salary for October. The municipality said its account was frozen a day before payments were to be made. This is amid ongoing legal battles with service providers who claim the municipality owes them millions of rands.
The municipality approached the South Gauteng High Court to grant urgent relief to allow it to pay salaries, but their application was denied.
Late on Thursday, protesting workers refused to be addressed by the Municipal Manager Lonwabo Ngoqo and demanded that Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Ketso Makume advance to address them.
Makume arrived about an hour later and promised the workers that they would be paid eventually. “I cannot promise when you will access paid but I will work hard to engage all the stakeholders to solve the problem. Give me 24 hours. You acquire worked and I know you need to be paid,” said Makume.
He pleaded to them not to damage any municipal properties. “You gain the factual to strike but please carry out not damage any property because it will affect services to our people,” Makume said.
Makume briefly told GroundUp that Matjhabeng needs administrative rescue but said, “The focus for now is to access workers’ salaries.”
Workers were outraged after the municipal manager confirmed that they would not be paid any time soon.
A letter signed by the municipal manager on 26 October, apologised to workers and stated that it hoped to access the issue resolved by the finish of the month. “Management is engaging with organised labour structures with regard to the matter in an attempt to find a longstanding solution.” Workers maintain been urged to return to their duties.
But on Friday morning, frustrated workers dumped piles of rubbish at the entrances of the municipal building. Refuse and many other essential services to communities maintain ground to halt amid the strike across all municipal departments.
When a minibus filled with police showed up to plod over a hundred protesters from the municipality’s premises, the protesters sang struggle songs and danced as they surrounded the vehicle, forcing it to leave the premises. SAMWU leaders then pleaded for workers to remain peaceful.
Samuel Potsotso Liphoko of SAMWU said workers lost their tempers after Ngoqo’s letter that there won’t be payments made any time soon.
Liphoko said Ngoqo was not telling the truth because SAMWU was not consulted as claimed in the letter. “We managed to unruffled down our furious members and we are yet to depart and acquire a meeting with the municipal manager,” said Liphoko.
Our attempts to access a comment from the Municipal Manager Ngoqo were fruitless. Our reporter was informed that Ngoqo had locked himself in the office on Friday afternoon.
Workers chased police away.
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Black Walnut
You don’t need a parachute to skydive, but you will need one if you want to do it twice.
nightmare king
A new teacher enters a classroom full of students.
The teacher stands at the front of the room and greets the students, \”Good morning, class.\”
None of the students say anything. One boy at the back of the classroom stands up, \”Good morning, teacher.\”
Puzzled, the teacher carries on. The following morning, the same thing happens. Day after day goes by, and it\’s the same routine.
One morning after greeting the class and the same student standing and greeting, the teacher has had enough, \”Why is it, that every time I walk in and greet the entire room, only you stand up and greet me?\”
In the most broken English, the boy replies, \”Because I are the only one here, what\’s name are Klass\”