Unrest in Matjhabeng: SAMWU Demands Removal of Mayor Amidst Claims of Misconduct

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has escalated its protestations against Matjhabeng Local Municipality’s executive mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha, branding him a “rogue element” and insisting on his immediate removal from office. Amid the somber backdrop of Welkom’s municipal offices, SAMWU members, bolstered by brazen discontent, intensified their campaign, marking the third such demonstration within a four-month window.

Dumisane Magagula, SAMWU’s provincial general secretary, articulated the union’s grievances during a fervent march. The indictment against the current administration under Khalipha is grave, with accusations ranging from the suspension of shop stewards to the non-payment of municipal workers – a situation that screams of systemic dysfunction and disregard for worker rights. The plea for redress reached a crescendo as Magagula implored the national government to salvage the teetering municipality from financial ruin.

In his blistering critique, Magagula lambasted President Cyril Ramaphosa's accolades for Khalipha, vehemently disputing the notion of the embattled mayor as a symbol of national executive leadership. He painted a grim portrait of a municipality in disarray, with nothing more than security personnel – ironically, the only employees seemingly compensated – standing as sentinels to a deeply troubled institution.

Not content to merely voice their discontent through marching and speeches, SAMWU, with support from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), is poised to employ legal mechanisms to drive their case. The unions' resolve is to hold the Minister of Cooperative Governance, Thembi Nkadimeng, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Amos Masondo, accountable should they snub the workers' demands.

Supporting SAMWU’s stance, COSATU General Secretary Solly Phetoe highlighted the administrative overreach of Mayor Khalipha, particularly his interference in matters traditionally reserved for municipal administrators. Phetoe's assertion underpins a broader call for the mayor’s removal and for the municipality to fall under provincial administration, suggesting a comprehensive overhaul to reverse the current predicament.

Grievances extend to the pressing matters of salary adjustments and alleged wrongful dismissals, issues emblematic of a governance style deemed by the unions to be incompatible with the political, yet non-administrative, role of a mayor.

The protest not only signifies a clash of wills between municipal workers and city officials but also spotlights the persistent challenges facing local governments in South Africa. The Minister of Cooperative Governance and the NCOP Chairperson, who were expected to receive the memorandum, were notably absent – a silence that may be interpreted as indifference to the dire situation laid bare by the workers.

In keeping with journalistic principles of fairness, an invitation to comment was extended to the Matjhabeng municipality, which, at the time of this report, remains unanswered.