KNYSNA NEWS - The SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) in Knysna Municipality picketed outside the municipal offices on Thursday last week to hand over a memorandum of demands to deputy mayor Aubrey Tsengwa.
Among the demands was a call for an update on the charges levelled against suspended municipal manager Dr Sithembele Vatala, and for the municipality's financial turnaround strategy document to be made available to the union.
Reading the memorandum, Samwu Knysna branch secretary Wandisa Mjongile said in the past few months they have learnt of the municipality's financial crisis, which resulted, among others, in the suspension of Vatala in February and the appointment of acting municipal manager Dr Michele Gratz.
"We have been taking a back seat and observing the situation of the municipality going from worse to worst, with senior management members resigning and to be specific, the chief financial officer Mbulelo Memani who is responsible for the finances of the municipality, and a councillor who previously served in the finance committee of the municipality," Mjongile said.
She noted that they were under the impression that the appointment of the acting municipal manager at full pay in addition to still paying the suspended Vatala was to turn things around for the better.
"The municipality has been paying two municipal managers from February to date and we claim to be financially strained. Dr Gratz has been in her acting capacity for too long… We demand that the financial turnaround strategy document, if there is any, be shared and made available to the union representatives for scrutiny as our mandate is to protect and act against any threats on our members' jobs," she said.
SA Municipal Workers' Union Knysna branch secretary Wandisa Mjongile reads a memorandum of demands at a demonstration outside the Knysna municipal offices on Thursday 4 June.
Mjongile said they demand an update on the outcome of the charges levelled against Vatala.
"We deem the payment of two municipal managers and the delay tactic in the outcomes of this suspension one of the unnecessary costs to the municipality. We demand that Knysna Municipality council adopts the 2020/2021 financial year budget as tabled and proposed to Council," she said.
The Samwu Knysna branch secretary said based on what has been making the rounds in the media and social media space, they are aware that there is a clear plan to drive the institution to Section 139 of the Constitution, by placing it under administration so that there is an autonomous ruling.
"We reject this notion as it will also have a negative effect on the staff, specifically our members who have on numerous occasions indicated that this is killing their morale. Samwu staff members have made it clear that they have no confidence in Dr Gratz…" she said.
Mjongile noted that Knysna Municipality is a local government institution and should not be treated as if it operates outside the ambit of local government legislation.
"We therefore urge you to take these in a very serious light and we are prepared to bring the operations of the municipality to a halt if needs be. We request an urgent response to the concerns raised in this petition. We give the employer until Tuesday 9 June 2020 at noon to respond," she said.
The municipality responded to a list of questions for comment, by saying Deputy Mayor Tsengwa, upon accepting the memorandum, acknowledged and recognised the employees' demands, and stated that the need to address their concerns is essential.
SA Municipal Workers' Union members picket outside the Knysna municipal offices on Thursday 4 June to deliver their memorandum. Photos: Tembile Sgqolana
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