BLOEMFONTEIN, Free State — Municipal workers across the Free State are grappling with a severe financial crisis, most notably at the Mohokare Local Municipality, where employees have gone without salaries for two consecutive months. This ongoing failure to pay wages is part of a broader issue affecting approximately six municipalities in the province, leaving workers unable to cover basic living expenses such as rent, transport, and loan repayments.
Masxole Xhantile, an employee who has worked for the Mohokare Local Municipality for nearly a decade, highlighted the heavy emotional and financial toll the situation has taken on staff and their families. Xhantile noted that many workers are now swimming in debt, having completely exhausted their borrowing options. Employees expressed deep frustration over the municipality’s lack of communication, which they say makes it impossible to negotiate payment arrangements with banks, creditors, and service providers.
The prolonged non-payment of salaries has also begun to severely impact daily municipal operations, according to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU). While some dedicated workers continue to report for duty, others are simply unable to afford transport to work, and some have stopped engaging with union stewards altogether. The union also raised concerns over ongoing delays in the payment of overtime and other employment benefits. A SAMWU representative strongly criticized the current governance, alleging that CoGTA is complicit in the crisis. The union argues that the Section 139 intervention has failed to yield better results, has perpetuated corruption within local government, and unfairly forces members to deliver essential community services while going hungry.
In response to the growing outcry, the Mohokare Local Municipality attributed the salary delays to severe financial constraints, specifically pointing to delays in receiving its equitable share allocation from the national government. Municipal officials explained that their financial stability was further destabilized in April when their account was attached by a creditor. This attachment disrupted their ability to meet the June payroll obligations and forced the reallocation of funds to settle third-party debts, leading to what officials described as a misappropriation of resources meant for salaries.
However, there is cautious optimism on the horizon for the affected workforce. The National Treasury has announced that it will begin releasing the remaining withheld July equitable share transfers to affected municipalities starting on the 31st of July. The Mohokare Local Municipality has indicated that it expects to utilize these incoming allocations to finally settle the outstanding June and July salaries, along with pending employee allowances. Workers now hope this financial intervention will bring a definitive end to months of severe uncertainty and hardship.
