Unpaid civil servants protest in KZN capital

A supposed “technical glitch” in the Msunduzi Municipality’s electronic payroll resulted in thousands of city employees not receiving a salary.

The workers blockaded Long Market Street in the KwaZulu-Natal capital’s city centre on Wednesday before marching on City Hall.

 Msunduzi spokesperson Thobeka Mafumbatha said that everything in their power was being done to address the “glitch”.

 “The long and short of it is that we have had a series of technical difficulties in our [payroll] system‚” she said.

 “Some people were paid and some people were not paid and it doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t have the money to pay people. Everyone who is using an FNB account has received their money‚” Mafumbatha said.

 She said that it had been difficult to drill down to the root of the problem and address the cause.

 DA MPL Sizwe Mchunu posted on social media: “Couldn’t resist posting this comment –‘Msunduzi Municipal employees not paid their due salaries today and told by a municipal official ‘Hadebe’ that the Municipality has to borrow money and could possibly pay salaries on Monday next week...’.”