The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and its Affiliate, the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in the North-West are dejected by the non-payment of salaries of municipal workers in Ditsobotla and other municipalities in the province.

Municipalities, including the Ditsobotla local municipality, are the closest sphere of government to residents and carry a constitutional obligation to render services to residents, irrespective of the economic status of the residents whom they serve.

However, the Ditsobotla local municipality is currently unable to effectively perform its constitutional obligations as those responsible for rendering the services to the communities and businesses under the authority of the municipality are now marking the third month without salaries.

Creditors on the other hand, indifferent to the challenges confronting workers, are moving in to repossess cars of workers who fail to honour their payments irrespective of the reality that these workers have not received their salaries for the last two months and have now entered the third month.

COSATU and SAMWU have met with Mayor Molefe Morutse, who confirmed that the municipality has complied with Treasury requirements to receive their portion of equitable share.  Treasury paid the first batch last Friday, 1 August, which went towards paying third parties.  The municipality is expecting the second batch this coming Friday, 8 August.  Mayor Morutse has committed that the second batch will go towards paying outstanding salaries of workers.

We call upon the Member of the Executive Council for Cooperative Governance and Tradition Affairs, Gaoage Molapisi and the Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, to move swiftly to ensure that workers at the Ditsobotla local municipality receive their salaries, by 8 August latest.