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Councillors in Mpumalanga’s Mkhondo local municipality may not get their salaries in the next few months unless they come up with a revenue collection plan.
This month, they were paid with money from the equitable share grant, after they protested to mayor Vusi Motha, saying that they could not survive without being paid because they had financial obligations.
The speaker, Goodness Nkosi, issued councillors with letters last week to prepare them for the bad news.
“This letter serves to confirm that all councillors at Mkhondo won’t receive their salaries for this month of July. For further clarity, councillors must consult the speaker,” reads Nkosi’s letter.
The councillors had a meeting after receiving their letters and Motha said that they would be paid from the equitable share grant.
Democratic Alliance councillor, Rob Wilson, said the municipality found itself in this financial mess because it was not collecting rates and taxes from residents, farmers and businesses.
“We’re not sure what will happen next month. Officials must be held accountable because they’re not collecting rates and taxes. We’ve had instances where the municipal infrastructure grants were used for operating expenses,” Wilson said.
Motha said that he had found that the municipality banked all its money in one account – resulting in funds used for purposes they were not budgeted for.
“I told the councillors that we cannot behave the same way as before,” Motha said.
“I was not going to be paid myself, and councillors must understand where I’m coming from. Salaries must come from revenue collection and not equitable share or municipal infrastructure grants,” he said.
Motha said that money budgeted for projects and operations would be finished soon if it was used to pay salaries.
“We need to create a system – who pays for services and who does not. Ward councillors can easily do this, but they are relaxing. We need the profiles of residents in each ward to know who are the indigents and who can afford to pay,” Motha said.
Mpumalanga DA leader, James Masango, said he would write to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Refilwe Mtshweni, to request an explanation about the “shocking state of affairs”.
“Councillors not being paid is indicative of the total collapse of this municipality. Public representatives have a mandate to ensure that they create and implement their community’s vision, strategic direction and values. They cannot be derailed by the ANC government’s incompetence,” Masango said
Riddled with corruption
Mkhondo municipality has been riddled with corruption. Motha had to cancel projects worth R300 million, which were awarded without following proper procurement procedures.
These projects included:
• A 3km road that would be built for an astronomical R81.4 million;
• The installation of 940 smart metres without a council resolution. The project cost R81 million and electricity money was allegedly siphoned to private individuals;
• R100 million spent on water tanks, but still no water is provided to rural communities; and
• Payment of R21 million for the paving of a street that is less than a kilometre in length.
Motha survived an assassination attempt on May 13 when 21 shots were fired at his vehicle. It is suspected that this attempt might have something to do with his anti-corruption stance.
