FTLM’s employees won’t be paid travel claims
"With the MM being the only signatory in this communiqué, she failed to realise that salary packages of councillors are regulated by law and changes to them could be affected by law of general application.
BURGERSFORT – Fetakgomo Tubatse Municipality is facing financial challenges and opposition parties are calling for Mayor Johannes Phokane’s head.
On October 16 the municipal manager (MM), NP Busane released a communique informing workers that they were not going to be paid their travel claims for the months of September, October and November.
The letter states: “In light of the financial constraints that the municipality is currently faced with, you are hereby informed that travelling claims related to September, October and November months will not be processed until such time that the municipality has recovered financially.”
The document has angered many employees. It looks like this will also badly affect service delivery in the surrounding communities.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News spoke to Cllr Lethabile Kgwedi of the DA, who indicated that non-payment will affect the performance of councillors and workers.
“This exercise is going to affect the performance of councillors badly and that would indirectly affect the provision of services to our communities.
“This is also a blessing in disguise to our communities, because now they know that all this time councillors were claiming for serving their constitutional mandate.”
Kgwedi, and other councillors who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were shocked that the MM’s decision was reached without a council resolution.
“With the MM being the only signatory in this communiqué, she failed to realise that salary packages of councillors are regulated by law and changes to them could be affected by law of general application.
Therefore, altering them without a council resolution constitutes a violation of the law. She should be charged for this exercise, and corrective measures be taken against her,” some councillors remarked.
Councillors said Busane has also stripped council of its legal authority of being the highest decision-making body of the institution.
“What she is now saying is that she is not accountable to council, but the other way around – council is accountable to her.”
Kgwedi said his party proposed a motion in council on July 12‚ which was struck off the council agenda. In that motion‚ the DA called for an investigation into the depositing of the municipality’s funds into VBS. It also called for the suspension of officials implicated and the laying of charges against those involved.
He said the party had opened a criminal case at Burgersfort Police Station against municipal officials who had deposited funds with VBS.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News has also learnt that some of FTLM’s machinery, cars and equipment are without fuel, as they are strapped for cash.
The municipality has also allegedly failed to pay office rental money to the owners of the civic centre for the past two months.
