Members from the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) took to the streets on Thursday, April 17, in protest of poor administration and service delivery at the Makhado Municipality.

SAMWU’s main grievances, as contained in a memorandum handed to mayor Glory Mashaba, centres around allegations of corruption and nepotism allegedly involving the municipal manager, as well as unhappiness over the municipality’s privatization of several services.

The protesters marched from the municipal workshop in Louis Trichardt to the municipal offices, displaying banners accusing the municipal manager, Ms Faith Muthambi of, amongst others, fraud, corruption and nepotism. One even went as far as to accuse Muthambi of awarding tenders in exchange for sexual favours. It is likely that this accusation follows the awarding of a street resealing tender to a close friend of Muthambi in Waterval in October 2006.

In the memorandum, SAMWU demands the immediate suspension of Muthambi, as well as other high-ranking municipal officials allegedly involved in the awarding of the tender at Waterval to Renkie Building Construction. It is alleged that the owner of the company received almost R2 million more than he originally tendered for the project, which he never even completed.

SAMWU also demanded that the municipality should stop the privatization of basic municipal services such as refuse removal in areas like Vuwani, Vleifontein and Waterval. They also demanded to be paid out for overtime already worked.

Another issue raised in the memorandum was that of municipal employees’ receiving a Grade 7 salary payment for the past ten years, while councillors have been receiving a higher Grade 9 allowance. SAMWU says this is unfair and unjust and said provision should be made within the next 2008/9 financial year for workers’ salaries to be adjusted in line with the new grading level of SALGA and the Minister of Local and Provincial Government.

SAMWU also minced no words in the memorandum when attributing the almost complete collapse of service delivery and infrastructure in Louis Trichardt to the municipal manager and the apparent family members appointed by her. Hence the allegations of nepotism.

"We are now the pothole town of South Africa," the memorandum reads. It goes on to state that, in surrounding areas, many villages have been left without adequate water for months.

As for the allegations of nepotism, SAMWU claims that the municipality’s entire technical service department is compromised of relatives of Muthambi and her Thohoyandou people. The municipality is urged to investigate these allegations, as well as allegations that some 30 employees had been unfairly dismissed in order to create vacancies for these relatives and friends of the municipal manager.

The memorandum concluded with SAMWU’s asking that criminal charges be laid against Mutambi for fraud, corruption and nepotism. The municipality is also urged to respond to the memorandum within seven working days.