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The Citizen reports that two Maluti-a-Phofung municipality officials were ordered by the Free State High Court last week to pay back R2 million they earned from illegal salary increments, implemented while the council was under administration.
The court found that the council ignored the authority of then administrator Amos Goliath and appointed municipal manager Futhuli Mothamaha and chief financial officer Jemina Mazinyo, and inflated their salaries while the municipality was still under administration in 2020. Mothamaha and Mazinyo’s salaries were increased by an annual R440,000 and R563,000 respectively, within their first month of service. Their salaries totalled R1.9 million and R1.5 million per year respectively, deemed excessive for officials at a run-down category 4 municipality that was under administration. The provincial department of cooperative governance approached the court to have the excessive increments declared unlawful and set aside. In her judgment, Judge Mareena Opperman said having been placed under administration and in accordance with the Municipal Finance Act, the council’s powers were subsequently restricted. The salaries and the employment contracts were illegal as they did not comply with the law, said Opperman. The duo were ordered to pay back the public funds within 90 days. When contacted for comment, Mothamaha said: “I am appealing. I met with my lawyers [on Wednesday] and gave them instructions to appeal that judgement.” Mazinyo referred all questions to her lawyers. The officials’ undermining of Goliath saw him being ejected from office and denied access to the premises by private security personnel.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Getrude Makhafola on page 4 of Saturday Citizen of 7 May 2022
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