MAQUASSI HILLS, NORTH WEST — The Maquassi Hills Local Municipality has been handed a seven-day ultimatum by striking workers demanding the immediate resolution of unpaid employee benefits, warning of impending legal action if their memorandum of demands is ignored.
Service delivery in the towns serviced by the local authority has been severely disrupted after members affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) downed tools. The core of the labor dispute centers on the municipality’s failure to remit deducted funds to third-party service providers.
Workers are demanding that all third-party deductions—including pension funds, medical aid contributions, unemployment insurance funds (UIF), and other statutory and contractual deductions—be paid in full and on time. Union representatives insist that no employee should suffer prejudice due to the municipality’s failure to transfer these funds, and they are calling for all outstanding arrears to be settled immediately.
Over 150 employees are currently affected by the financial mismanagement. Among them is a 15-year veteran at the municipality, who highlighted that all of her third-party benefits have lapsed despite continuous deductions being taken from her salary.
In response to the strike, municipal management acknowledged the crisis. Representatives stated that they are fully aware of the employees’ grievances and unreservedly acknowledged the issues, noting that most workers and management alike are affected. They admitted to the non-payment and half-payment of statutory obligations but assured stakeholders that they are actively working to rectify the situation.
The financial turmoil has sparked outrage among civic groups, with the North West branch of the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) calling for the complete disbandment of the municipality. This demand follows a recent confrontation where municipal officials frustrated the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA). The officials reportedly failed to provide the necessary financial reports to account for the Auditor General’s audit findings.
Civic leaders argued that the municipality’s inability to account to SCOPA renders the current leadership useless. SANCO representatives stated that the community can no longer tolerate the ongoing mismanagement, describing the situation as “nonsense” that the public has been subjected to for far too long.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance has stepped in, stating that the matter is receiving active attention. The department pushed back against SANCO’s call to disband the local authority, describing the demands as “political rhetoric.” A spokesperson for the department emphasized that it is unfortunate that while the government is actively engaging stakeholders and implementing interventions, some groups choose to undermine these efforts rather than contributing constructively to the solutions.
The municipality now has exactly seven days to formally respond to the workers’ memorandum before further action is considered.
