Impendle Municipality employees receive salary payments
Employees, councillors, and officials at the Impendle Local Municipality received their December salaries and allowances
Image: File
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has expressed satisfaction following the confirmation that all employees, councillors, and officials at the Impendle Local Municipality received their December salaries and allowances before the year-end deadline of 31 December 2025.
This development was welcomed by MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, who commended the municipal leadership for their swift action in addressing this issue, particularly during a time when many families rely heavily on festive season earnings.
"We are pleased that the leadership of Impendle Municipality acted with the necessary urgency to resolve this impasse. The payment of salaries is a primary administrative obligation, and fulfilling it restores a measure of dignity to the municipal workforce," said Buthelezi.
Despite the immediate relief this payment provides, Buthelezi voiced concerns regarding the overall financial health of the municipality. The prompt disbursement of salaries, while commendable, has not addressed the underlying financial issues that have plagued the Impendle Municipality.
"This payment, while welcome, is an immediate relief rather than a permanent fix. We cannot allow a situation where the municipality operates from crisis to crisis," he said.
The ongoing cash flow challenges experienced by the municipality, such as the delays in salary payments noted in May 2025 and the recent withholding of equitable shares by National Treasury, point to structural deficiencies within the municipality that need urgent attention.
To tackle these foundational issues, a team of senior financial experts, deployed by Buthelezi, will continue to work closely with the municipal administration. Their objective is to address the root causes of the financial distress, particularly focusing on conditional grants management and executing the post-audit action plan in response to a recent adverse audit opinion.
The Department of Cogta remains steadfast in its commitment to support the Impendle Municipality and aim is to strengthen governance and financial management systems to prevent similar occurrences in the future.