Ten municipalities have been fingered for failing to pay salaries of municipal employees in at least five provinces since April this year.

The implicated municipalities are located in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, North West, Mpumalanga, and the Northern Cape.

The culprits are Mafube, Kopanong, Mohokare, Impendle, Jozini, Nkomazi, Thaba Chweu, !Kheis, Ditsobotla, and Mamusa local municipalities.

Kopanong, Thaba Chweu, and Ditsobotla local municipalities have a history of non-payment of employee salaries, as they had been experiencing the same issue during the 2024/25 financial year.

This was revealed by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, when he responded in writing to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Constance Nonhlanhla Mkhonto.

He explained that a municipal manager was responsible for the management of the expenditure of the municipality, and was also mandated to report to the council on all expenditure incurred by the municipality on staff salaries, wages, allowances, and benefits.

“The department is not aware of any politicians, municipal officials, or administrators who have faced consequence management or disciplinary actions in municipalities where salary payments have been delayed or withheld,” he said.

However, the National Treasury, in collaboration with provincial Treasuries, is implementing financial recovery plans to assist the municipalities failing to meet their obligations of paying employees’ salaries.

Hlabisa revealed that CoGTA has adopted a multi-stakeholder and intergovernmental approach to address the persistent issue of salary non-payment in municipalities.

“This is being done through both constitutional support mechanisms and targeted institutional collaboration.”

The initiative provides support and oversight by implementing Municipal Support and Improvement Plans tailored to address governance, financial management, and service delivery deficiencies in the affected municipalities.

Hlabisa said CoGTA was working in close coordination with the provincial CoGTAs, national and provincial Treasuries, South African Local Government Association, the Office of Auditor-General of South Africa, the Department of Public Service and Administration, and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent.

The National Prosecuting Authority and the South African Police Service are also roped in in instances where financial misconduct or criminality is suspected.

Hlabisa added that the Cabinet has approved the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to develop and implement the municipal performance and turnaround strategy in municipalities experiencing chronic financial distress and salary payment failures.

The priority municipalities are Kopanong, Mafube, Mohokare, Ditsobotla, and Mamusa.

“The IMC serves as a high-level coordination platform to ensure that interventions are not only reactive but also preventative, with clear lines of accountability and escalation to law enforcement agencies where necessary.”

Meanwhile, employees in the Nkomazi Municipality did not receive their full salaries and benefits for June amid the suspension of the CFO.

Responding to EFF MP Nqobile Mhlongo, Hlabisa said the Mpumalanga provincial government has seconded an acting municipal manager to bring stability within the municipality’s senior management.

He said the acting municipal manager issued a circular on June 23, detailing that basic salaries were to be paid by June 25, overtime on July 4, and all other benefits by July 7.

“All employees’ basic salaries were paid on the 25th, as per the circular issued by the acting municipal manager. Additionally, all other benefits, including allowances and overtime, were subsequently paid.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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