Workers and councilors at the Ditsobotla local municipality in the North West say they are sinking in debt after the council failed to pay their salaries at the end of August.
The municipality failed to pay salaries for all workers, including senior management on August 25.
One of the workers who asked not to be named said life had become hard.
“The situation is bad. I am in arrears on my car, bond and school fees. My cellphone contract has been terminated by the service provider.
“I have my wife, child and mother who are all dependent on me. I have been borrowing from friends and family just to get food for my family. I had to get R500 for transport for my child because if I don’t pay, my child will not go to school. It is really tough. I have now run out of options and do not know what to do,” he said.
The worker, who is a building inspector, said he has borrowed about R5,000 just to survive for the month.
He said he has faith that the municipality would be able to resolve the problem and pay them by the end of the month.
Another worker who asked not to be named described his financial situation as unbearable.
“I have not paid for the house, car instalments... things which are important. I have relied on my relatives to survive. Now I’m talking about R4,000 that I have borrowed.
"I have to pay money for transport for my son who is going to school and my daughter who is at tertiary. I have to give her money for food, travelling and rent…It has been frustrating. My finances have just collapsed,’ he said.
The municipality’s 39 councillors were also not spared.
DA caucus leader in council, Ronald Matlholoa, said the municipality is struggling to pay salaries because it has not been able to collect revenue among many other challenges it is facing.
“We are not coping as councillors… Even the morale among workers is very low because of this situation.
“I have had to go borrow money somewhere for the children to eat. But when it comes to big instalments like cars and mortgage, you just hope for another day to become better.
"On a daily basis we are supposed to respond to creditors for car instalments. Banks are phoning us asking when are we going to pay,” said Matlholoa.
He said workers have been so demoralised by the nonpayment that they are not doing their maintenance work which has left the town of Litchtenburg without water.
dlaminip@sowetan.co.za
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