Municipal workers down tools

Members of the South African municipal workers union (Samwu) downed tools on Monday demanding a clear separation between the political and administrative structures within the Lephalale municipality.
According to the regional secretary of SAMWU, Patric Aphane, there is too much political interference within the structures of the Lephalale municipality. “We have observed that political meetings are confused with management meetings. Employees who do not support the mayor’s political views are often victimised. We are concerned that the acting municipal manager (MM), MB Makgatho, was appointed with no experience within a municipality.”
SAMWU handed a memorandum to the speaker of the municipal council, MR Boloka, demanding among other things a report on the R9,5-million that disappeared from the municipality. “We are disturbed about the negligence and disregard of the supply chain processes by the office of the mayor and we demand a report regarding the suspension of officials,” the statement reads.
SAMWU calls for the immediate resignation of the mayor, Jack Maeko, and the acting MM. “If the mayor does not resign we will have to push him out of office by force,” they warned.
Spokesperson for the municipality, Victor Monyepao, could not be reached for comment, but he issued a statement on Tuesday saying: “Early on Monday morning the strike management team met to discuss allegations that there were intimidation at the municipal workshop, which was the assembly point of the marchers. It was reported that marchers were intimidating those who were reporting for work.”