Alpha Ramushwana14 January 2025 | 15:51

DA demands explanation from struggling Emfuleni Municipality for overtime payments

This comes after it was revealed the municipality has paid over half a billion rand in overtime over the past five years.

DA demands explanation from struggling Emfuleni Municipality for overtime payments

FILE: Residents of Boitumelo township under the Emfuleni municipality say they have been neglected for nearly two decades. Picture: Abigail Javier/Eyewitness News

JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is demanding the financially strained Emfuleni Municipality explain why it's spending so much on overtime payments to its staff.

This comes after it was revealed the municipality paid over half a billion rand in overtime over the past five years.

READ: Emfuleni workers finally receive Sep salaries amid municipality’s wrangle with Eskom

While the municipality does not believe its overtime spending is excessive, the DA strongly disagrees.

DA Gauteng Legislature member, Kingsol Chabalala, questioned why the municipality was allocating such a large amount to overtime payments when it struggles to provide basic services.

"The political leadership in that municipality is not playing their oversight role in terms of ensuring that financial resources of the municipality are not wasted. Also, I delivered an indictment to the municipal manager, via the accounting office, that he is turning a blind eye to acts of corruption."