Skills and qualifications audit needed at SDM: EFF
"The concern that has always been raised by the EFF is; where are those employees working?”
SEDIBENG. – The decision by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) of the Sedibeng District Municipality SDM to do a physical verification of all employees in the municipality’s employ has been welcomed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Sedibeng.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, EFF its Regional Chairperson, Isaac Khithika said that his party welcomes the resolution taken by the MPAC of the SDM led by Yusuf Mohammed, the process was set to begin this week. Khithika said that the SDM is having serious challenges which puts it under serious strain and that this makes it difficult to execute its core mandate.
“It has been widely reported that the biggest expenditure which the municipality incurs is in the paying of salaries. The district municipality pays 75% of its money on salaries and cannot adequately render service delivery to our people. The concern that has always been raised by the EFF is; where are those employees working?”
Khithika further said: “The section 80 Corporate Services MMC had agreed with all his committee members that the verification will happen. It has been coming; we are happy as an organization represented in Council that finally the MPAC committee which plays a crucial oversight function has finally put their words into action.”
It is said that the physical verification of employees in SDM, amongst other issues, is pushed by a suspicion that there might be ‘ghost employees’ in its payroll system.
“After the physical verification, the next step should be a skills and qualifications audit. We will continue to use our numbers in Council to the benefit of the people of Sedibeng, we will continue to hold the executive to account,” Khithika ended.
The municipality is under the leadership of Lerato Maloka.
The main purpose of the MPAC is to exercise oversight over the executive functionaries of the Council and to ensure good governance in the municipality, these include oversight over municipal units. Any unauthorized, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure by the Council, Maloka, or any political office bearer of the municipality must also be reported to the MPAC.
