Wage negotiations between unions and the South African Local Government Association started in March.
Since the start of the week, people have taken to the streets over service delivery. Demonstrators looted shops owned by foreign nationals, while some were seriously damaged. There were other protests in areas like Soutpan, Dewetsdorp and Zastron.
During the 2018/2019 report, the Auditor-General found that only 20 of the country’s more than 250 municipalities had achieved clean audits for that period.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is delivering the keynote address on the first day of the South African Local Government Association’s (SALGA) two-day virtual National Members Assembly on Thursday.
The legislation is aligned to the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) but deals with the equitable division of revenue among national, provincial and local governments.
The organisation said it would encourage treasury to implement Section 216 of the Constitution to withhold equitable share to address financial misconduct.
Salga is warning that municipal revenue from rates could fall by 5% – an amount of about R14 billion – due to the lockdown.
Eskom’s financial troubles were exacerbated by municipalities who were either unwilling or unable to pay for power.
The association's president, Thembi Nkadimeng, said the country was experiencing an increase in violence targeted at councillors and municipal officials.
Salga is hoping now that the suspensions have been rescinded, councils will be allowed to deal with the matter without interference.
Gauteng Cooperative Governance MEC Lebogang Maile last week suspended City of Tshwane Speaker Katlego Mathebe and former Johannesburg Speaker Vasco da Gama accusing them of abusing their office and being constitutional delinquents.
Eskom board chairperson Jabu Mabuza said overdue debt owed to the company stood at only R1.3 billion in 2013. Fast forward six years, that figure now stands at nearly R30 billion.
The utility's debt has escalated by over R20 billion in just a few years, with chairperson Jabu Mabuza saying debt owed to the company stood at only R1.3 billion in 2013.
Salga has revealed households, businesses and government owe municipalities over R165 billion.
City employees affiliated to the union gathered at the metro’s chambers where a memorandum was handed over.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on Thursday has approved a tariff hike of 9.41% for this year.
The Labour Department says that Salga has not submitted audited financial statements from 2012 to 2017, as well as minutes of meetings that elected office bearers.
Talk Radio 702's Karima Brown speaks to Salga chairperson Parks Tau about how the barometer can be used to improve the state of the country’s municipalities.
