FW de Klerk Foundation Expresses Concern Over Unpaid Emfuleni Workers Amid Salary Payments to Suspended Officials
3 October 2024
The FW de Klerk Foundation notes with deep concern the ongoing crisis in Emfuleni Local Municipality, where thousands of municipal employees may not receive their salaries due to Eskom's attachment of the municipality's bank accounts. This situation highlights a profound governance failure at the local level, directly impacting the livelihoods of many South Africans. In stark contrast, reports indicate that 471 civil servants across national and provincial departments continue to receive full salaries while on prolonged suspension, some for more than five years.
Section 152 of the Constitution outlines the fundamental objectives of local government, which include ensuring the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner, promoting social and economic development and fostering a safe and healthy environment. Emfuleni’s ballooning R8 billion debt to Eskom and subsequent financial collapse represent its clear failure to meet these constitutional obligations. The municipality's inability to pay its workers or deliver essential services due to its financial mismanagement undermines not only service delivery, but also the stability of labour relations within the public sector.
Ismail Joosub, Manager of Constitutional Advancement at the FW de Klerk Foundation, stated, "This situation underscores a systemic breakdown in governance and accountability at the municipal level. Section 195 of the Constitution mandates the efficient, economic and effective use of resources, yet both Emfuleni's financial mismanagement and the continued payment of suspended civil servants contradict these constitutional imperatives. The rights of workers to fair labour practices, as enshrined in section 23 of the Constitution, are further jeopardised when they are left without income."
Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation, added, "The disparity between unpaid municipal workers and suspended officials collecting salaries raises serious ethical and constitutional questions. Proper financial management and accountability are not just financial responsibilities - they are essential to safeguard the rights, dignity and wellbeing of all South Africans."
The FW de Klerk Foundation urges all stakeholders to act decisively to address this crisis, ensuring that local governance operates in alignment with constitutional values, that resources are managed responsibly and that workers' rights are protected.
Issued by FW de Klerk Foundation, 3 October 2024
