West Rand Municipality to release assets to pay workers

On Wednesday workers held up councilor in the chambers, requesting to get their salaries paid before releasing them. 

Lesufi says the provincial government needs to find a long-term sustainable solution to get the municipality back on its feet. 

"We are worried over the long-term effect of that municipality, and we need to do something immediately," says Lesufi. 

Lesufi told Jacaranda FM News on Thursday morning an agreement was reached between the workers and municipality in the early hours.

"The entire day today we will be working very hard to package what we believe can be a sustainable resolution to that problem and hopefully bring back that municipality." 

Lesufi admitted that it will not be easy to resolve the issues that have crippled the West Rand Municipality.

He says more than one hand of the state is required to render the Municipality effective again. 

Lesufi adds the municipality will release some of its assets later on Thursday to pay workers. 

However, he admits this is not a long-term solution to save the embattled Municipality. 

"Our concentration as the provincial government is not to deal with the interim people. If we don't have a long-term solution, that problem will always come up every month." 

He adds the provincial government will ascertain whether to put the municipality under administration, as one of the options. 

Lesufi doubts the administration issues faced by the municipality centres around its improper investment of R77 million into VBS Mutual bank. 

"Even if they have access to that money of VBS, it would not solve their problems. That money was not for operational costs. Even if they got the money from VBS, they would not be in the position to pay salaries." 

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