The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in the Moses Kotane municipality in the North West Province said it was shocked to learn that the mayor intends to use public money to hire a personal chef.
”Samwu members were shocked to see the advertisement for a chef for the mayor’s house in the Sowetan newspaper last week and have since tabled a demand that this position be cancelled,” the union said on Wednesday.
”The most disturbing factor is that this chef is going to be paid by the municipality and be included in the municipal organisational structure which currently does not accommodate such a position,” said shop steward July Khoza.
Samwu also alleged that the mayoral house was acquired irregularly.
”Apparently a council resolution called for the house to be built rather than bought at a cost of about R1,5-million because building a house would have been cheaper,” Khoza said.
”The high cost of the house in itself is an unacceptable and squanderous activity of this council. The communities will not benefit from this house,” he said.
Samwu said it had called upon the Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West to engage in industrial action by staging a march to the municipal offices.
”We are also going to involve the communities of Moses Kotane in our endeavour to stop the mayor from this bogus appointment”, said Khoza. – Sapa