The debate got heated at the Tshwane metro council on Thursday as the coalition government voted against a 3.5% salary increase for municipality employees.
The municipality applied for the council to approve the halt of a salary increase for the 2021/2022 financial year that would have cost the metro R430-million.
The ANC and EFF wanted the increase to be approved.
Frans Mokgokela Boshielo, a former metro official and now an ANC councillor, said the metro should keep their promise of the agreement between employees and the municipality signed last year for an increase.
“The workers are critical. The municipality cannot afford a poor attitude of staff; neither can we expose this municipality to relentless labour disputes,” Boshielo said.
The ANC’s Kgoši Maepa said the metro’s inability to pay the increase was due to “mismanagements of funds”.
He attributed this to metro’s R635-million debt to Eskom. The ANC requested for a presentation on the state of the municipality’s finances and a plan of financial recovery.
Kingsley Wakelin, MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, said the metro was struggling financially.
“The exemption application is for [only] one of the next three years,” he said.
“The root cause of the financial situation we find ourselves in is the R4.4-billion deficit incurred during the illegal appointment of the administrators.”
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He said this was coupled to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, which saw metro’s revenue collection dwindling.
Wakelin said the South African Local Government Association, however, provided a provision for municipalities to apply for exemption of salary increases.
The EFF and ANC’s request for council to instruct the city manager to pay workers, in line with the bargaining council agreement, fell flat after voting.
Council voting breakdown:
For the salary increase: 102 votes
Against salary increase: 107
The EFF was also not happy over ActionSA as it voted with its coalition government partners, namely with the DA, Freedom Front Plus and ACDP.
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Tshwane South African Municipal Workers Union, Mpho Tladinyane said the metro’s vote on the exemption of salary increase was not the final decision.
He said the exemption application came after the union requested for intervention by the South African Local Government Bargaining Council for workers to be paid in line with an agreement.
“The employer failed to implement the directive and subsequent to that the bargaining council scheduled the matter for arbitration. The matter will be heard before an arbitrator during the second week of March 2022,” he said.
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Tladinyane said the metro would have to disclose their financial books to the council.
“The council after hearing submissions from both parties will then make a decision on the salary increase matter. The council will have financial experts to mull over our case.”
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The council meeting continued for over eleven hours. The councillors did not elect chairpersons of oversight and standing committees that was scheduled for Thursday.
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