Emfuleni engineer paid for four years for doing nothing

Share the Article:

The fact that this dispute has lasted for years indicates that the Emfuleni Human Resources Department has failed to resolve it.

The Emfuleni Local Municipality has allegedly been paying a senior engineering technician, Silence Munwai, for four years while he has been sitting at home doing nothing.

According to DA Constituency Head in Emfuleni North, Kingsol Chabalala, this is because the Emfuleni Manager for Parks and Cemeteries, Sithembile Ngobeni, filed for a protection order against Munwai.

“Since 2019, Munwai has been sitting at home while being paid an annual salary of R597 022,00. Ngobeni filed a protection order against Munwai after he allegedly threatened to shoot and kill him because he was constantly absent from work,” he said.

ALSO READ: EFF blast Lesufi’s Nasi iSpani appointment letters announcement

Chabalala said this information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mzi Khumalo, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

He continued, “This unresolved dispute is a massive cost to taxpayers that must not be allowed to continue. This dispute between the two employees is costing Emfuleni residents, who continue to suffer a collapse in service delivery.

The Emfuleni Local Municipality has been paying a senior engineering technician for four years while he sits at home due to an unresolved dispute with a manager. #ServiceDelivery #Accountability @kingsoljr

Read more: https://t.co/Hdq77HzqUS pic.twitter.com/gEBSNx1SX9

— Democratic Alliance Gauteng Legislature (@DA_GPL) July 19, 2023

“The fact that this dispute has lasted for years indicates that the Emfuleni Human Resources Department has failed to resolve it.

“The DA demands that MEC Khumalo urgently intervene and resolve this dispute to curb any further loss of income by Emfuleni.

The DA has proposed that the Gauteng Provincial Government put measures in place to ensure disputes between managers and subordinates are resolved promptly.”

Emfuleni spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni reportedly said: “I still have to get information from user departments.”