Municipality’s R4.5m Christmas bonus: Officials ordered to return double salary payments

The Mopani district municipality in Limpopo has given councillors and officials who erroneously received double salary payments in December an ultimatum to pay the money back into the municipal account before the end of this month.

The cash-strapped municipality said the irregular payments totalled R4.5 million.

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There was a special council meeting at the municipal chamber in Giyani on Monday. The salary payment debacle topped the agenda, with opposition parties grilling management, demanding answers.

An employee who received a double salary payment said yesterday: “It was like manna from heaven… 51 of us [councillors] and 210 of our employees received double salary payments on December 20.”

He said some people spent the money on “groceries, expensive booze at nightclubs, Christmas gifts for our families and tailored clothes. Others had a great lifetime experience at the Kruger Park and a trip to top-notch seasides in Durban and Cape Town”.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the councillor said: “We were told to return the money this January. I have already paid back the money, but I cannot say the same about my comrades.”

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On Monday, municipal manager Tshepo Mogano briefed the council about the matter.

He said the payments total was R4 531 840.19. Of this, R1 917 398.66 was paid to Extended Public Work Programme (EPWP) beneficiaries, who accounted for 42% of the overpayment, councillors were paid R665 840.61 while the remainder was paid to senior managers and other officials, including deputy managers.

“To date, we have received R696 459.91 from some councillors, officials and EPWP beneficiaries,” said Mogano.

While the municipality defended the payments, saying they were an honest mistake, opposition parties in the council demanded that consequence management be applied as soon as possible.

Some even went as far as calling for the suspension of the municipal manager, the chief financial officer and the supply chain manager. But others defended the municipal manager, saying the payments were not his doing but the mistake of his subordinates.

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Cope council caucus leader Manjaro Senyolo said payment errors are becoming a daily occurrence in Mopani. He said in the past three years, “millions were overpaid to service providers and councillors. Ironically, it also happened during the festive season.

“Some councillors have already joined their ancestors while some service providers continue to get lucrative tenders from the municipality while still owing. I suspect there’s more to it than meets the eye. I suggest this matter should be elevated to the Hawks.”

Municipal spokesperson Odas Ngobeni said the matter has been referred to the financial misconduct board for further investigations.