Emfuleni Municipality to Investigate Absent Workers After AWOL Employee Earned Over R3 Million Since 2019

• An employee at Emfuleni Local Municipality has been receiving a monthly salary with benefits despite being absent from work since 2019
• The municipality was unaware of this situation until recently and it came to light after a query by the Democratic Alliance
• South Africans are blaming the African National Congress' cadre deployment policy for the disaster

EMFULENI - An embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality employee has been earning a monthly salary with benefits despite missing in action since 2019.

AWOL Emfuleni employee earned over R3 million

The municipality seemingly had no idea it was footing the bill for an employee absent without leave and earning R65 351 a month, including R15 000 for car allowance and R600 for cellphone allowance.

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According to SowetanLIVE, the employee was first employed at the municipality in 1986 and was paid over R3 million since 2019. The revelation comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Kingsol Chabalala asked about the money spent on the said municipal employee.

Emfuleni Municipality to investigate AWOL employees

MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Gauteng Mzi Khumalo said the municipality will verify its payroll following the revelation. Khumalo explained that the municipality found out about the AWOL employee in August.

The municipal accounting officer has been commissioned to investigate all employees not coming to work and earning a salary. Human Resources has been drawn in to help as well.

The municipality has been in a lot of trouble in recent years, from being unable to afford to pay its debt to Eskom to assets being seized.

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Last month, ActionSA launched a petition to have the municipality dissolved. The political organisation said the community could not wait until 2026 for a new administration to take over and urgent intervention was required.

South Africans astonished at Emfuleni municipality scandal

Elphus Khoza said:

"With the current government, everything is possible."

Monwabisi Mkwemnte Peni said:

"They don't have a clocking system to monitor employees, HR knows everything and just gives them final written warnings."

Geraad Mokoena commented:

"Viva ANC government viva and the ghost workers that are paid monthly in almost every municipality that is under ANC."

Ntsikelelo Wiseman said:

"These are the results of cadre deployment (no skills required)."

Nkwenkwezi Ngqunge commented:

"He was observing social distance."

Hannie Kontlip

"Why are we governed by pathetic dudes?"

eThekwini employee suspended in 2019 still gets full salary

Briefly News previously reported that an eThekwini municipality employee is still enjoying the benefits of a full salary even though he has been suspended since 2019.

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The man has been sitting at home for four years because senior management allegedly perpetually extended his suspension after failing to charge and discipline him numerous times.

In an email, the employee reported the unending suspension to eThekwini City Manager Musa Mbhelu and Mayor Mxolisi Launda, but nothing was done to address the issue.

Source: Briefly News