Emfuleni spends over R55 million on an employee labour dispute

VAAL TRIANGLE - The DA says the Emfuleni Local Municipality has spent more than R55 million in a legal dispute with an employee over unfair labour practices relating to benefits on acting allowance. This was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Mzi Khumalo, in a written reply to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). DA Emfuleni North Constituency Head, Kingsol Chabalala MPL, said in a statement the money spent on outsourcing legal services could have been used to improve service delivery, and legal services could have been provided internally. According to MEC Khumalo, four different legal firms were paid for the legal dispute between Emfuleni and its employee, Edward Radebe. The paid legal fees to these firms range from R47,000 to over R37 million and were paid between 1 July 2017 and 24 March 2024. Chabalala said the cash-strapped Emfuleni Local Municipality is struggling to deliver services to its residents, and it is unacceptable that it is spending such staggering sums of money to fight one labour dispute when the Labour Court has already ordered it to pay R739 551.42. The DA demands that MEC Khumalo immediately intervene and ensure the Emfuleni legal unit serves its purpose of handling legal issues about the municipality.

PHOTO: (DA)