Latest news with #SouthAfricanMunicipalWorkersUnion
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Municipal union wins case forcing !Kheis municipality to cough up salaries
The High Court in Kimberly has mandated the !Kheis municipality to pay overdue salaries following a legal challenge by the South African Municipal Workers Union Image: Independent Newspapers The municipality of !Kheis in the Northern Cape has been forced by the High Court in Kimberly to pay salaries after the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) took it, that province's Premier, and the National Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to court. The ruling, handed down recently, ordered the municipality to 'immediately make payment of the salaries of the members of the applicant for the months of February 2025 and March 2025 and to continue making payment of the salaries of the members of the applicant as it falls due'. In the decision, the Judge stated that 'this unfortunate saga' involved a 'municipality that is, like so many others in our country, in financial distress'. !Kheis, a Khoikhoi name meaning 'a place where you live', is in Groblershoop in the Northern Cape Province and is home to just under 22 000 people as of the 2022 census. That province, the smallest province by population size with just 2.2% of all people in South Africa living there, has been under the Auditor-General's (A-G's) whip. The court bid, which was opposed by the MEC in the Northern Cape, stated that, in SAMWU's notice of filing it alleged that 'the Municipality was in serious and persistent material breach of its obligations to provide basic services and to meet its financial commitments as a result of a crisis in its financial affairs'. It also said that !Kheis was suffering a 'a crisis in its financial affairs'. SAMWU also wanted the Municipality placed under the government equivalent of business rescue, requesting that the Department 'implement a recovery plan aimed at securing the ability of the Municipality to meet its obligations to provide basic services'. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The A-G's the latest audit report on the Northern Cape with regards to the Public Finance Management Act found that there had been an improvement in audit outcomes, although it had made 'No progress' towards 'improving [the] reliability and usefulness of [its] annual performance report'. There was also 'no improvement in the quality of performance reports submitted for audit,' while there were also 'increased levels of unauthorised, irregular as well as fruitless and wasteful expenditure'. The report does not specifically mention the !Kheis municipality. Following the publication of the A-G's report, the Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, welcomed the outcomes, stating that the 'audit results show a significant improvement in the province's audit opinions for various Government Departments and entities for the audit cycle'. He noted that the eight clean audits were 'the highest number recorded so far'. !Kheis was, in 2023, named and shamed by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana for failing to pay salaries for months. Last year, the A-G's office indicated that, based on its latest audit outcomes as of March, the Municipality had received disclaimed audits for the past five years – a concerning position. IOL
The Citizen
09-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
KwaDukuza waste collection resumes, lifeguards return after strike
Striking KwaDukuza municipality staff returned to work this morning after downing tools from Monday to Thursday. During the strike, waste went uncollected and beachgoers were left without lifeguard protection (until Wednesday), despite municipal assurances that critical services would not be impacted. The strike was led by the South African Municipal Workers Union to demand improved salary conditions and only ended after workers were addressed by Deputy-Minister for Employment and Labour, Jomo Sibiya, in a meeting on Thursday. More details on the resolution are expected next week. The strike led to a backlog on some services and waste collection teams will work through the weekend to try and catch up. On Saturday, teams will focus on clearing refuse in Shakaville and Groutville, including Cranbrook, Mphinyane, and Mnyundwini. Other areas scheduled for service include Gledhow Village, Ntshawini, D-Section, Lindelani, Zamani, Soweto, Mdlebeni, Nyathikazi, KwaTwele, Nonoti, Mbonisweni, Hangoes, Malende, Jobs Farm, Charlottedale and KwaMyeza. On Sunday, clean-up efforts will continue in Newtown, Rocky Park, Blythedale Beach, Windy Heights, and Glenhills. Teams will also cover Zinkwazi and Darnall, including the Hesto Plant area, and parts of Ntshawini, such as Nhlakanipho Ngema Street, Joyous Guesthouse Road, Gidela, and KwaMadundube. The municipality has asked residents to store waste safely until collection and to avoid illegal dumping, which causes delays and poses health risks. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
