The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) at the Musina Municipality made a call this week that the municipal manager and the chief financial officer of the municipality must step down, following allegations of corruption.

Municipal Manager Abram Luruli and the municipality´s chief financial officer, Tersia Mockey, are linked to tender scam allegations. The two are said to have been dishing out tenders to their friends.

Samwu members engaged in a stay-away on Monday and Tuesday this week. They also allege that Mayor Caroline Mahasela had failed to respond to a memorandum which Samwu members had submitted to her office on November 4 during their protest. She was expected to respond to allegations about Luruli and Mockey and other workers grievances.

“Our municipal manager is always going to Jamaica when we do not have the resources and as workers we are concerned about it. We do not have protective clothing, no cars for the municipality, we are understaffed, yet we are expected to render service to the community which the municipality serves,” said the secretary of Samwu, Mr Joseph Rambau.

He said the municipal manager was more focused on tenders than on administration to take the municipality forward.

The protesters marched to the municipal offices, displaying banners accusing the municipal manager, Abram Luruli of, amongst others, fraud, corruption and nepotism. Several other accusations involving the behaviour of senior municipal officials were also indicated in the memorandum.

Samwu also stressed in the memorandum that Luruli had awarded a tender to Slabby Consultant Company before the tender was advertised and R42 500 was paid to the company.

Rambau added that the municipality had 76 vacant positions, some of which had already been advertised in the media, but only five people were appointed. Samwu also allege that both Luruli and Mockey receive money from the people they award tenders to as part of a bribe.

Samwu members are also alleging that the council improperly employs friends and relatives in senior positions while temporary employees are removed, despite a mutual agreement once reached by both the trade union and the council to provide temporary employees with permanent posts.

“We are fed up with corruption and nepotism in this municipality. Some people are occupying some positions that they don´t even qualify for. Workers must be employed according to their credentials, not according to favours. We are going to fight this and we want the two to vacate their positions since they are using the municipal money for their personal interests,” Rambau said.

Musina Municipality’s spokesperson, Wilson Dzebu, confirmed the protest, adding that they had received the memorandum of grievances and the council responded to their memorandum. About the 76 vacancies, Dzebu said the municipality could not employ people, because the budget did not allow them to do so.

Rambau dismissed claim that the memorandum had been responded to.