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PAY MHLONGO AT YOUR OWN RISK - SIKHATSI

By Sisho Magagula | 2018-08-16

“PAY Gideon Mhlongo at your own risk”.

This is the warning that has been issued to employees of the Mbabane municipal council by outspoken councillor Sikhatsi Dlamini.

Dlamini has directed this message to any council employee who will authorise and facilitate Mhlongo’s salary this month.

He said anyone who would authorise Mhlongo’s payment must be prepared to re-imburse council from his or her own pocket.

Dlamini, who is fresh from a two month suspension, is also the chairman of Council’s finance committee.

Following news that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gideon Mhlongo might not be paid his salary this month because, according to the finance committee, he is in office illegally, all focus is now on seeing whether or not this will happen.

All employees of the Mbabane municipal council usually receive their salaries on the 20th of every month.

This means their pay day is next week Monday, but, according to council insiders, the finance department is already running the salaries and they are expected to be released to employees on Saturday morning. On Monday, Councillor Sikhatsi reportedly chucked Mhlongo out of a meeting of the finance committee following his contractual issues.

According to reliable sources, when the meeting started, Mhlongo is said to have avoided it and delegated someone to act on his behalf.

However, the agenda of the meeting is said to have been signed by Mhlongo himself.

Upon noticing that the agenda was signed by Mhlongo, Dlamini is said to have demanded that the CEO be brought to the meeting to explain why he signed the agenda because he was out of contract.

His contract expired at the end of July and there has been no drawn out new contract save for a letter instructing council to give him five more years in office.

The meeting is said to have adjourned for about 10 minutes in search for Mhlongo’s contract.

The contract ended up not being located.

That was when Mhlongo was allegedly chucked out of the meeting, according to the sources.

Dlamini confirmed that he expelled Mhlongo from the meeting because he had not contract.

Interviewed yesterday, Dlamini issued a strong warning to council employees and said they should ensure that no payment is made to Mhlongo this month.

“Wahola Mhlongo this month, kutawuboshwa bantfu. They should pay him at their own risk. If they pay him, they will have to pay the money back to council,” he said.

Dlamini maintained that there was no basis for the payment of any salary to Gideon Mhlongo because legally, he is not an employee of the municipality.

Efforts to get comment from Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phiwayinkhosi Mabuza hit a snag yesterday as he did not answer his mobile phone for the better part of the day.

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