DA calls for West Rand District Municipality workers allowances to be paid immediately

14 November 2018

Today a group of workers marched to the Office of Premier David Makhura to highlight their dissatisfaction about their allowances having not been paid by the failing ANC government.

Workers’ salaries were paid, but other benefits like housing allowances, pension funds and medical aids were not paid.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been warning for a while now, that this municipality will have to present an unfunded budget because they had invested R81 million with VBS Mutual Bank

This is not the first time that workers have shown their dissatisfaction with the failing ANC municipality.

At the end of October, council workers staged a sit-in at the council chambers over the non-payment of salaries.

This is unacceptable as this situation has been going on for a long time now.

If the Premier was serious about finding a solution to the woes of the West Rand Municipality he would have put contingency plans in place to prevent this from happening again.

In voicing the workers' grievances, the DA will tomorrow table a Member’s Statement in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to hold the Premier accountable to resolving this situation.

It is a crying shame that the ANC is failing to pay salaries to workers in time. The failing ANC is jeopardizing the livelihoods of many breadwinners.

A solution to this situation must be found immediately as a shutdown means that residents are suffering because of the failing ANC.

For far too long have residents of the West Rand suffered because of the financial mismanagement and neglect by the failing ANC.

Premier Makhura should consider placing this municipality under administration as it is clear that it is unable to fulfil its local government mandate.

The DA is also calling for a commitment from the Premier on when the remaining portion of the salaries will be paid, how this will be done and where the funding will come from.

We will continue to put pressure on the Premier to ensure that workers are paid their full salaries.

Change will only come to Gauteng under a DA-led government. This can happen in 2019.

Issued by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Team One Spokesperson on Basic Services, 14 November 2018