Reports that municipal employees in Zululand District Municipality have not received their September salaries are deeply troubling and demand immediate answers from the municipality.
KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi has called for the matter to be urgently investigated and for remedial action to be taken. This intervention must now result in clear answers about what went wrong, who is responsible, and when affected employees will receive their outstanding salaries.
This latest development cannot be viewed in isolation. It comes amid ongoing concerns around financial mismanagement and lack of consequence management within the municipality.
The DA has previously raised concerns regarding the R30 million payment to Acumen Consultants and formally sought answers from the Municipal Manager regarding the authorisation of the payment, its source in the approved budget and the deliverables attached to it.
These questions remain important, and we call on the MEC to confirm whether his office has followed up on this matter.
Municipal funds must be used responsibly and in the interests of residents and employees.
Zululand residents have an important choice on 4 November, to continue trusting leadership that cannot manage payment of employee salaries, with the public purse, or vote for a government with a proven record of good governance.