Municipal workers embark on go-slow

WORKERS at Dikgatlong Municipality will embark on a go-slow today and are preparing for strike action should the chief financial officer (CFO), Levona Itumeleng, not be suspended and investigated.

A memorandum was handed over by South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) workers to the mayor yesterday morning, calling for allegations against the CFO, including financial maladministration and irregular payments of around R2 million that were made to Ezekiel Moeti Construction for incomplete work, to be investigated.

Payments of R1.7 million and R625 144.65 were made to Ezekiel Moeti Construction at the time the CFO was serving as the acting mayor in January this year.

The memorandum stated that the municipality has been in financial crisis since the former municipal manager, Kgotso Moeketsi, was seconded to Coghsta in 2015.

According to the unions, the CFO was running a “one-man show”, where the municipal finances were being mismanaged and they believe she does not have the best interests of the municipality at heart.

“The CFO knew that the municipality was not financially viable yet the first thing that she did when she started work was to purchase expensive office furniture. At the same time she requested a salary increase, knowing that she was earning over and above the prescribed guidelines of the local government regulations regulating the appointment of senior managers.”

The unions also queried why the CFO’s resignation had been withdrawn by council, two weeks after it was submitted

The memorandum pointed out that despite cost-containment measures, the CFO incurred unnecessary expenses by flying to Durban for a tourism indaba when the municipality was unable to pay for basic necessities. “No procurement processes were followed when the CFO purchased a folding machine that is currently costing the municipality even more money. Salaries are not being paid on time, not because there are no funds but because the CFO decided what was more important. This has hampered service delivery. Debts are increasing every month due to a non-existent credit control policy while there has been no improvement on the financial recovery plan.”

Both Coghsta and Dikgatlong Municipality did not respond to media enquiries.

- Sandi Kwon Hoo