Pretoria – The City of Tshwane says salaries for some members of its staff should be paid by the end of business on Monday.
“Absa has managed to resolve the salary payment debacle with other banks. Salaries will gradually be paid into employees’ accounts this afternoon. Employees are urged to give this process a few hours,” the metro said in a brief statement.
Earlier, the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and the opposition parties in Tshwane lambasted the City for non-payment of employees’ salaries.
Councillor Joel Kgomotso Masilela ka Mahlangu, ANC greater Tshwane caucus spokesperson, said the metro was in dire straits financially.
“The ANC Tshwane caucus management is shocked at the minority coalition government led by the DA/Action SA/FF Plus/Cope/ACDP faking the claim of running a responsive administration.
“The metro is in dire financial straits and has in the recent past had its fleet parked due to the unavailability of diesel as it had no money to pay service providers for the supply of diesel,” said Masilela ka Mahlangu.
He said the problems “have now seeped into the very fibre of the City of Tshwane, affecting a very crucial component of the municipality, and its workers who are demoralised due to a number of factors, including the unavailability of tools of the trade”.
IOL has seen a note addressed to Tshwane workers from finance MMC Peter Sutton indicating the delay in payment of salaries was not from the City’s side.
“Update Salary Payments 7am. Morning colleagues, I confirmed that there is no delay in salary payments from the City’s side. All payment files were submitted on time, as normal last week and salaries paid on time.
“Absa clients cleared and it seems many other banks not yet. There could be a number of reasons for this but it is not a City of Tshwane delay in payment submission.
“I know many people would want to drive the narrative that we failed to pay salaries as the City has cash-flow problems but this is simply not true. All salaries was paid in time from our side. I asked the teams to investigate this matter and provide me with feedback,” the Tshwane MMC said in the note.
Payment of salaries update: pic.twitter.com/Tb9VA3wEMM
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) September 26, 2022
IOL