City of Tshwane denies allegations it didn’t pay staff September salaries

City of Tshwane Mayor Randall Williiams has denied claims that the office has not paid its staff their September salaries, insinuating that the mishap was due to a bank glitch.

He said the bank was aware of the “malfunction” and was attending to it promptly.

Responding to a tweet by former ANC Tshwane chairperson Kgoši Maepa, Williams said:

“This is not true. The non-payment of salaries to some of our employees is due to a technical glitch by Absa. The bank acknowledged the error and is fixing the issue. Employees who bank with Absa received their salaries. City employees understand this and they are at work today.”

 City of Tshwane also confirmed that it settled the R1.6 billion outstanding debt it owed embattled state-owned entity Eskom, two weeks ago.

“I’m pleased to confirm that as of 1pm today,16 September 2022, the City of Tshwane has fully paid Eskom’s August account of R1.6 billion.”

ALSO READ: Financially challenged Tshwane settles massive R1.6bn Eskom debt

BREAKING NEWS – City of Tshwane failed to pay salaries to its employees today!

Hundreds and thousands of Tshwane employees didn’t receive their salaries today, on pay-day (26 September 2022). City is bankrupt. DA coalition has officially collapsed the City,

What is to be done?

— Kgoši Maepa (@kgosi_maepa) September 26, 2022

‘ANC non-payment’

Last week, ANC staff members protested again over the non-payment of salaries. The disgruntled staff members picketed outside the ANC’s headquarters at Albert Luthuli House, in Johannesburg, singing “silambile” (We’re hungry).

NOW READ: ‘We may up the tempo’: ANC staff picket outside Luthuli House over unpaid salaries

The workers have not been paid for August, while others are still owed salaries from two months ago, according to several media reports.

“What worsens things is that some of our members who have not been paid their salaries that come as far as July. They have not been paid for August and there are no signs that they will be paid for the month of September as well. And that concerns us.

“That is why we are here. In the main, we are trying to put pressure on the leadership to give this matter a priority,” ANC staff representative Mandla Qwabe told JacarandaNews last Monday.

The Citizen previously reported that the ANC owes R17 million to the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for unpaid taxes and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax.

The party’s treasurer-general Paul Mashatile blamed the new Political Party Funding Act for ANC’s financial struggles.

Compiled by Siphumelele Khumalo