Times Live reports that municipal workers in two Limpopo towns, Mopani and Vhembe, have not been paid their January salaries and the national Treasury has blamed senior officials.  

Treasury spokesman Jabulani Sikhakhane said both municipalities have been unable to account for grants allocated to them.  He indicated that R46-million would be transferred to the Mopani municipality for workers to be paid.  Mopani spokesman Tumelo Malaka said national Treasury officials who chose to go on vacation were to blame, while Vhembe spokesman Matotzi Ralushai attributed the delay to the fact that payday (25 January) fell on a Sunday.  The SA Municipal Workers' Union said it was unfair that workers were not paid but councillors received their salaries.  "Municipalities have failed to pay workers because they are broke.  But councillors were paid their January salaries while the people who are doing the real work of service delivery are relegated," said Samwu provincial secretary Simon Mathe.  He also indicated that workers at the Bela municipality received their salaries three days in arrears.

• Read this report by Kingdom Mabuza at Times Live
• Read too, Municipal workers paid late, on page 11 of The New Age of 29 January 2015
• Read Samwu’s press statement at Cosatu Today

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