ULUNDI, 2 JANUARY 2026 – The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi welcomes the confirmation that all employees, councillors, and officials at the Impendle Local Municipality have received their December salaries and allowances prior to the 31 December 2025 deadline set by the MEC.
The MEC has commended the municipal leadership for adhering to the directive, ensuring that workers and their families were not left destitute during the festive season.
“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 MEC Buthelezi.
However, the Department remains concerned about the municipality’s overall financial health. While the immediate crisis has been averted, the recurring cash flow challenges—evidenced by a similar delay in May 2025 and the recent withholding of the equitable share by National Treasury—point to deep-seated structural issues that require sustainable solutions.
“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,” MEC Buthelezi added.
To ensure long-term stability, the team of senior financial experts deployed by the MEC will continue their work at the municipality. They will assist the administration in addressing the root causes of the financial distress, including the management of conditional grants and the implementation of the post-audit action plan following the recent adverse audit opinion.
The department of Cogta under the leadership of MEC Buthelezi remains committed to supporting the Impendle Municipality in strengthening its governance and financial management systems to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Ends.