The Citizen reports that Free State finance MEC Gadija Brown came under fire from angry employees at Kopanong Local Municipality after she told them they would receive only R10,000 compensation each because Kopanong was too broke to pay their outstanding salaries and benefits.
Brown held an impromptu meeting with employees at the Trompsburg-headquartered municipality last Monday. She had initially arrived on the day to meet with municipal bosses over Kopanong’s crumbling finances. Brown is seen in a video clip recorded at Monday’s meeting urging the staffers to accept the R10,000. Kopanong municipality’s wage bill totals R14 million. Along with other dysfunctional muncipalities such as Maluti-A-Phofung, Masilonyana, Tokologo, Mafube, Mohokare and Mantsopa, Kopanong cannot fulfil its salary obligations and faces total collapse. It also owes power utility Eskom and water boards hundreds of millions of rands. Monies deducted from salaries are illegally used for other expenses, leaving the council with R444 million debt owed to pension funds and medical aid schemes. Employees have since downed tools over non-payment of wages and benefits. Kopanong’s ANC Mayor Xolani Tseletsele shrugged off striking unions demanding workers’ wages, accusing them of “not coming to the table”. “We are willing to engage, but they are not willing to enter into discussions,” he claimed.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Getrude Makhafola at The Citizen (subscriber access only)
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