An Eastern Cape municipality has issued a notice to its employees that no leave would be granted in the next five months due to a planned external audit process to take place between July and November.
The Chris Hani district municipality directive was issued to all of its more than 800 employees.
Municipal manager Gcobani Mashiyi said in the letter, dated June 25, that no leave applications would be approved in the next five months so that the workers would be available “to provide the necessary assistance and support” during the 2025 audit period.
He said the upcoming audit process was a critical process for the municipality.
While the letter was addressed to all municipal officials, Mashiyi said on Thursday he’d had engagements with municipal officials “directly responsible for end of financial year activities, audit preparations, water provision operations and maintenance, persuading them to prioritise performing these activities in the month of June, until the audit is done by November”.
In the letter, Mashiyi said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to good governance, accountability and sound financial management, the Chris Hani district will undergo an external audit scheduled from July to November.
“This audit is a critical process for our institution, requiring the co-operation and availability of all employees to ensure its smooth execution.
“In this regard, kindly be advised that no leave application will be approved during this period, to enable all employees to be available to provide the necessary assistance and support during the audit process.”
This has led to a huge outcry by some employees, who feel the directive is against labour laws and policies.
SA Municipal Workers Union provincial secretary Asamza Ntaka did not respond to questions.
However, the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union’s (IMATU) Sigqibo Gcakamane confirmed seeing Mashiyi’s leave restrictions correspondence.
He said he had then approached one of the municipal directors to query it.
“He assured me that such did not involve or apply to all the municipal employees, but to those in some sections that will deal directly with the auditors’ process, such as those at human resources and internal audit units,” Gcakamane said on Thursday.
“I was told that there were people that had this week been recalled from their leave in the wake of this correspondence, but that some of them had since been told to continue with their leave days.”
He said Imatu had been deeply concerned by the directive as “no adequate consultation had even taken place before this was implemented”.
Co-operative governance provincial spokesperson Pheello Oliphant said there was nothing untoward in the municipality’s memo, saying it was “ an internal control measure”.
He said it was to ensure that employees were available and able to account to the auditor-general efficiently and speedily.
Labour law expert Michael Bagraim said it was irregular for all employees, even those who had nothing to do with audits, to be affected by this directive.
Daily Dispatch
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