SECURITY guards and cleaners working at the Chris Hani District Municipality stormed municipal offices in Komani, Eastern Cape, on Tuesday, 24 February.
They are demanding answers about when their salaries will be paid.
With support from concerned Komani residents, the workers called on the municipality to take action against security companies that are failing to pay their employees.
On 14 December 2025, Daily Sun reported that security guards in the Komani/Chris Hani District Municipality marched to the Department of Labour and local municipality offices on 11 December 2025, protesting against months of unpaid salaries.
Concerned worker, Xola Njokweni, said on 11 December 2025, they marched to the municipality to hand over their grievances, giving officials until 17 December to respond.
"We received a letter that the municipality would not be able to respond by 17 December, as it wanted to gather information. In December, the workers had gone five months without receiving their salaries," he said.
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Xola explained that they decided to picket at the municipal offices to demand a response.
"I wanted to know that between the government and the companies that render services, who is in the wrong. After we left here in December, workers were paid some of the months, but after that they were not paid for December, January and February," he said.
According to Xola, they want clarity on who is responsible for the non-payment of salaries.
"We want to check who is on the wrong side. Is it the municipality or the companies?
"We want a permanent solution. We know that municipal staff [members] get paid on the 25th of each month, but security guards have not been paid for three months," he said.
Xola questioned if companies are failing to pay, is there a law that allows the municipality to absorb these workers so they can be permanently employed.
He added that they also wrote to the Department of Labour, which has resolved some of the issues raised.
"Most of these workers have been employed for more than five years and can't even claim Provident Fund, UIF, or Pension Fund. We can't have a situation where workers go unpaid for months," he said.
Chris Hani District Municipality councillor Nosipho Papiyana said this is a serious situation as it affects families.
"I apologise to you for not receiving feedback on the petition. This is the first time that, as the political leadership, we hear of the petition. This is a serious matter."
Papiyana said the municipality has a contract with the company, and it's that company that hires workers.
"I would like to urge you, as this shows we did not show any care in dealing with the matter. We ask you to give us time to process these matters."
She said they will ask the company concerned why it does not pay its workers.
"The tendering system has been infiltrated by criminals who use the money for their own benefit and pay workers with the change.
"I will give the petition to the mayor, Lusanda Sizani, and the municipal manager, Gcobani Mashiyi, today so that the matter is addressed. We don't take these issues lightly. Security companies playing with our people and not paying them their salaries is a serious issue."
Papiyana asked the workers to give them until Tuesday, 3 March, to address the issues and call another meeting on Tuesday at 11am.
Xola called on the municipality to monitor the situation to ensure workers are not victimised by the company for taking part in the picketing.
