THOHOYANDOU - Forty workers who where contracted to the Thulamela Municipality in the Clean and Green Project are accusing the municipality of failing them, by not providing jobs to them as they promised.

The workers told Mirror last week that the municipality also instructed them to stop working without prior notice. "We started working for the municipality in May 2000 as part of the Clean and Green Project, which was sponsored by IDT and SAB. Before the end of our contract, the municipality told our project managers that they should look for other people as they were going to absorb us. To our surprise, we only worked for two months, last year July and August and were then informed that we should stop reporting to work until further notice. We never received our two months salary," they said.

Florah Mangaye (54) says she is angry that she had to work even over the weekend, without pay. "Our children can’t go to school, our families are starving. We have empty stomachs," said the mother of five children.

Douglas Mangaye, a father of six children said, it was his last hope of employment. The municipality said the Clean and Green Project should not renew their contracts as they were going to employ us. "Now other people are contracted, hence the municipality dumped us", said Mangaye.

Miriam Ntyveni of Thohoyandou P West stated that it was frustrating that the municipality is expecting to pay for services. "I do not know how I am going to support my children who are all in school. These people should note that some of us are widows. We seriously need our money," said Nyveni.

Thobile Madonzela (35) of P East, who was holding a four months baby, said she was experiencing very serious financial problems. She said she also failed to pay for her children’s school fees. "My children did not pay school fees and I could not pay for their uniforms. I want my salary and job back," said Madonzela.

The municipal manager, Mr Makonde Mathivha said they were also concerned about the situation. "It was always our wish to retain these workers and give them full-time jobs. But things did not go according to our wish. Still now, we just hope we can devise something that can help them get back their jobs and salaries," said Mathivha.