By Celani Sikhakhane
EPWP workers at the King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) local municipality in the Eastern Cape have won a court order stopping the municipality from replacing them after their contracts ended.
In July, the workers went to the Mthatha High Court after being told their contracts would come to an end and new staff would replace them on 1 August.
Five EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme) workers asked the court to urgently stop their contracts being terminated.
Last week, the court agreed, saying no one should replace them and the new hires should be cancelled.
The workers who took the case to court were Nosicelo Mkhonto, Khululwa Sokhala, Kholiswa Masitha, and Nontsasa Xinti.
Before the contracts were terminated, KSD mayor Nyaniso Nelani advised against it.
But two senior officials who are running for powerful positions, as chairperson and secretary in the upcoming elections in the ANC’s King Sabata Dalindyebo subregion, ignored the mayor and approved the terminations, possibly to help their political campaigns. They hired people from their wards.
Last week, the new hires protested against the court ruling in Mthatha.
Nelani declined to comment and referred journalists to municipal spokesperson Olwethu Mabovula, who could not be reached.
Pictured above: KSD EPWP workers obtained a court interdict against the termination of their contracts.
Source: X
