Latest news with #StateoftheCapitalAddress
The Star
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Wage talks between Samwu and City of Tshwane break down, leaving workers in limbo
Rapula Moatshe | Updated 2 weeks ago The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)-facilitated talks between the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the City of Tshwane on June 10 and 23, 2025, broke down without an agreement over the outstanding 3.5% wage increase for the 2021/22 period. The talks followed a May 9 Labour Court ruling, which sent the matter back to the South African Local Government Bargaining Council for a new hearing on the 3.5% wage increase after the city initially sought an exemption. In the same breath, the court ruled that the city is exempt from implementing a 5.4% wage increase for the 2023/2024 financial year after it cited financial constraints. The city approached the court after its application for exemption from a wage agreement with the unions was rejected by the bargaining council. Samwu regional secretary Donald Monakisi said the union has formally appealed against the ruling on the 5.4% salary increase and is waiting for the Labour Appeal Court to schedule a hearing date. Regarding the outstanding 3.5% salary increase, he said both the union and the city failed to reach an agreement during the recent CCMA-led negotiations regarding the process to finalise such an increase for municipal workers. He said the bargaining council has scheduled the exemption hearing for July 21, 2025. Monakisi explained that the CCMA-facilitated talks were held ahead of the upcoming exemption hearing at the bargaining council, in an effort to narrow down the issues in dispute and explore possible settlement options that could be formalised as a bargaining council award. However, the meetings failed to yield consensus between the two parties, but they agreed on the value of ongoing dialogue before the scheduled hearing. Monakisi said Samwu remains committed to these discussions, hoping to reach a mutually beneficial resolution in the best interest of workers. 'The union remains relentless in its position that the 3.5% salary increase, owed to workers from 2021, must be honoured. The prolonged delay in payment has imposed significant financial strain on municipal workers, who continue to provide essential services under increasingly difficult conditions. In this regard, Samwu's legal team is diligently preparing for the exemption hearing, with the aim of securing a just outcome for our members,' he said. Monakisi emphasised that the City of Tshwane has confirmed the availability of funds to meet its obligations to employees. He was referring to Mayor Nasiphi Moya's State of the Capital Address two months ago, where she noted Tshwane's improving financial outlook due to decisive actions and increasing resident support. 'We are proud to report that our cash reserves are projected to reach R2.86 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. This marks an important step toward financial stability, with our liquidity coverage improving from 23 days to 43 days over the next two years,' she said. The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union demanded transparency and accountability, arguing that the city cannot claim financial stability for the public while citing financial distress as a reason for not paying its workforce. Last month, the city and both unions jointly acknowledged the strain the ongoing wage dispute had placed on municipal employees. 'The city reaffirmed its appreciation for the dedication of its workforce and its commitment to working collaboratively with organised labour to find a fair and sustainable resolution,' parties said in a statement. [email protected]
IOL News
24-04-2025
- IOL News
City of Tshwane's ongoing struggle with Melgisedek buildings: A decade of neglect
Residents of dilapidated Melgisedek buildings in Riviera are still waiting for the City of Tshwane to relocate them. Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers Nearly a decade after the City of Tshwane deemed the Melgisedek buildings in Riviera unfit for habitation and had planned to relocate occupants, people still live there illegally. The buildings continue to deteriorate, with locals complaining they are a haven for crime and drug infestation, making them uninhabitable. In 2015, when the city condemned the buildings, concerns arose about rescuing the thousands of residents. The city announced plans to audit the residents and develop a relocation strategy. A crèche was closed and informal traders were ordered to leave, but the traders have since returned. A year after the buildings were deemed unsafe, the Pretoria News reported that the city formed a task team to assess the buildings' condition, structural integrity, and residents' social circumstances. The team's mandate was later expanded to investigate other potentially dilapidated or illegally occupied city properties. However, it transpired this week that the city is still exploring options to rehabilitate Melgisedek and convert it into student accommodation, a proposal that originated from the previous DA-led administration. Meanwhile, the buildings continue to deteriorate, being surrounded by a foul odor, mosquitoes, and flies. A nauseating mixture of water and human waste flows through the area. Toilets have been converted into makeshift homes, leaving residents without proper ablution facilities. Some relieve themselves behind the buildings, while others use toilets at nearby shopping centers or petrol stations. Former DA MMC Kingsley Wakelin, now an MPL, had pledged to address hijacked and illegally occupied buildings in Pretoria's CBD, with Melgisedek prioritised under the Tshwane Sustainable and Better Buildings programme, aimed at regenerating the inner-city. This week, MMC for Shared and Corporate Services, Kholofelo Morodi, said the city is still moving forward with plans to develop Melgisedek into student accommodation. 'As part of the Bad Buildings programme, the city has met with the University of Pretoria to explore collaboration and partnerships and the Melgiesedek is part of this process,' she said. She cited illegal occupation by vulnerable groups, including women, children, and the elderly, as a major reason for the delay in developing Melgisedek. She said the exact number of occupants wasn't known, but estimates suggested between 400 to 500 people were living on the property. She also cited the property's current zoning as educational as a development constraint, limiting potential opportunities for the building. 'During the State of the Capital Address, the Executive Mayor announced that the City is undertaking several land preparation measures on earmarked strategic properties,' she said. Despite previous commitments to relocate the inhabitants, Morodi said measures are underway to clear the property, including identifying suitable alternative accommodation for the occupants. She said rezoning the property is necessary to secure a broader range of development rights before putting it on the market.
