R275 a month is pocket money ...

This and other slogans on placards summarised the feelings of a large group of Tribal Authority (TA) workers who recently demonstrated outside the Limpopo Premier’s office.

The workers each raised R100 to hire a bus and to toyi-toyi at the Premier´s office in Polokwane. They demanded to be registered and be permanently employed as they had allegedly been promised by the former premier, Sello Moloto, in 2007.

According to the demonstrators, the tribal authorities (TA) workers from the Vhembe District Municipality are given anything between R275 and R755 a month. Some of these workers are claiming that they have been working for three to six months without receiving that little subsidy.

The Premier´s office had allegedly promised that all workers would be absorbed and registered as permanent workers, because they are playing a vital role in the service of communities.

In 2007, however, only about a quarter of the TA workers who were called for interviews were appointed in full-time posts.

One of the concerned workers, Joel Tshabalala, told a national daily newspaper that the TA workers were getting very low subsidies. Cleaners earn R275, drivers and police officers R419, and administrative officers R755. "We are fighting for the absorption of all TA workers who worked for the communities between three and 27 years," Tshabalala said.

The senior general manager in the Premier’s office, Dr Phuti Pheme, received the memorandum from the angry people. Pheme told them it would be sent to the relevant people in the Premier´s office to deal with the matter.