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Emfuleni workers rake in R24m while sitting at home

Timeslive · · 555 words · By Jeanette Chabalala
Municipal Financial Mismanagement Media Bias Allegations Accountability and Governance Failures

The article reports that Emfuleni municipality workers have accumulated millions in salaries while suspended, a figure questioned by the DA. Officials, including the MEC for cooperative governance, urged the municipality to quickly conclude disciplinary proceedings to stop the financial drain. The municipal spokesperson disputed the reported figures and accused the reporting outlet of bias, while the article also notes the municipality's poor performance in service delivery.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-04-20-emfuleni-workers-rake-in-r2…

analyticsAnalysis

40%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Moderate concerns. Notable use of persuasive or loaded language.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 85% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 60% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
warning
Appeal to Anger 75% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.
warning
Selective Omission 70% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 6
schedule Pending 5
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“An Emfuleni municipality accountant and senior clerk suspended seven years ago have so far earned R9m in salaries while at home.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results report the specific claim that an Emfuleni municipality accountant and senior clerk suspended seven years ago earned R9m in salaries at home. Two distinct web search results reiterate this figure and the context of the 22 workers earning a combined R23.9m.
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web search NEUTRAL — An Emfuleni municipality accountant and senior clerk suspended seven years ago have so far earned R9m in salaries while at home. The two are among 22 workers from the cash-strapped municipality in the…
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-04-19-emfuleni-workers-r…
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web search NEUTRAL — An Emfuleni municipality accountant and senior clerk suspended seven years ago have so far earned R9m in salaries while at home. The two are among 22 workers from the cash-strapped municipality in the…
https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/sowetan/20260420/28…
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web search NEUTRAL — The family of the Emfuleni local municipality official whose killing was captured on a CCTV camera and went viral on social media says the political killings task team has taken over the murder case.
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-04-13-wat…
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“The two are among 22 workers from the cash-strapped municipality in the south of Joburg who have earned a combined R23.9m without doing any work as their suspension drags on.”
CORROBORATED
The claim that 22 workers from Emfuleni earned a combined R23.9m while suspended is directly corroborated by the content of the web search results, which cite this figure in relation to the initial claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — An Emfuleni municipality accountant and senior clerk suspended seven years ago have so far earned R9m in salaries while at home. The two are among 22 workers from the cash-strapped municipality in the…
https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-04-20-emfu…
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web search NEUTRAL — Note to Editors: Please find a soundbite from Kingsol Chabalala in English here Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has spent over R20 million on 19 public officials suspended and sitting at home, despi…
https://dagauteng.org.za/2024/04/emfuleni-spends-over-r20-mi…
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web search NEUTRAL — Issued by Ismail Joosub on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 03/10/2024 The FW de Klerk Foundation notes with deep concern the ongoing crisis in Emfuleni Local Municipality, where thousands of m…
https://fwdeklerk.org/fw-de-klerk-foundation-expresses-conce…
info
“The accountant and senior clerk were both suspended in August 2019, and their cases are still not concluded.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention the context of Emfuleni workers suspended 'seven years ago' and the general issue of unresolved cases, but none of the provided evidence explicitly confirms that *both* the accountant and senior clerk were suspended *specifically* in August 2019, nor do the Wikipedia results provide this specific timeline detail. The evidence is insufficient to verify the exact date (August 2019) across multiple sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The August was a country rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 2005 relocating to Nashville, Tennessee. The band disbanded in 2013. Members included Jacky Dustin, Wojtek Krupka, Tim Good, Cameron C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_August
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemispher…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mercedes Grabowski (August 23, 1994 – December 5, 2017), known professionally as August Ames, was a Canadian pornographic actress. She appeared in more than 100 films, including a non-pornographic fil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Ames
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“The accountant has so far earned R5.6m while the clerk raked in R3.3m.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figures (Accountant: R5.6m, Clerk: R3.3m) are presented together in the context of the web search results, but this exact breakdown is not independently corroborated by a second source. The evidence is concentrated within the web search results provided.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Compare that to an audit clerk earning R12,000. It’s not even a fair fight.A Junior Compliance Officer in the same sector is earning between R25,000 and R35,000. An Accounting Trainee is earning R10,0…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2026-graduate-power-move-how-…
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web search NEUTRAL — A TikTok video revealed a clerk earning over R36,000 per month with only a matric qualification, sparking debate about salaries and career paths in South Africa.Kylie Henson wrote: “I earn R26000 as a…
https://briefly.co.za/people/family-relationships/231200-mak…
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web search NEUTRAL — i EARNED R380 SO WTFFF ?"???So , fnckin whatt ? i EARNED R380 SO WTFFF ?"??? People do this all the time in history.
https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/the-ecommerce-exec-w…
info
“This was revealed in answers to questions posed by the DA in the legislature in March.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention the context of DA questioning and revelations regarding salaries, but none of the provided evidence explicitly states that the figures were revealed in answers to questions posed by the DA *in the legislature* in *March*. This specific procedural detail is not independently confirmed.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Texas State Legislature is the legislative branch of Texas.Neither the regular biennial session nor the special sessions of the legislature had limits in duration. In the House, leadership consist…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Legislature
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web search NEUTRAL — Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It's a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers. This empowers people to learn from each other…
https://www.quora.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — For complete notes of Lectures, visit CUET Crash Course Batch in the Batch Section of PhysicsWallah App/Website.PW App Link - https://bit.ly/YTAI_ncert?...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhcHxP3vrmI
info
“Other officials who have since been suspended on full pay include a fleet manager, petrol pump attendants, a senior technician and a parks and cemeteries manager.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The list of other suspended officials (fleet manager, petrol pump attendants, senior technician, parks and cemeteries manager) is mentioned in the context of the web search results, but no second independent source corroborates this specific list of roles.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — petrol pump attendants Latest Breaking News, Pictures, Videos, and Special Reports from The Economic Times. petrol pump attendants Blogs, Comments and Archive News on Economictimes.com.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/petrol-pump-atten…
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web search NEUTRAL — As per the proposal,the petrol pumps will be set up near the premises of open jails at Sabarmati,at Danteshwar on the outskirts of Vadodara and on the Surat-Navsari road in Surat.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/gujarat/soon-prison…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Pump attendants now only assign patrons to the respective available pumps.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/do-you-tip-the-pe…
info
“Two petrol pump attendants who were suspended in March last year have been paid R349,539.34 to date, while a fleet manager who was suspended in May 2025 has been paid R1.2m.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific payment amounts (R349,539.34, R1.2m) and dates (March last year, May 2025) are presented in the web search results, but no second independent source corroborates these precise financial figures or dates.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nigeria is on the rise, let competition between NNPC and Dangote Refinery continue. It's for the good of the citizens. Price of fuel is still coming to N500 per liter on average, if not in the short r…
https://www.nairaland.com/8494458/nnpc-sacks-pump-attendant-…
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web search NEUTRAL — logo Petrol Pump Dealer Chayan.OMCs are engaged in appointing new Dealer Distributors as a continuous business process and providing accessibility of Dealership.
https://www.petrolpumpdealerchayan.in/
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web search NEUTRAL — “The Station Manager has been suspended.All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works (Be sure to ask for evidence of clients that have benefitted from this)…
https://thenationonlineng.net/nnpc-sacks-pump-attendant-susp…
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“MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs and infrastructure development, Jacob Mamabolo, raised concern and urged the municipality to urgently conclude the long-standing disciplinary proceedings against its employees.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that MEC Jacob Mamabolo urged action regarding disciplinary proceedings. One source specifies he urged the department to compile a full report and commence hearings, which corroborates the core claim that he urged the conclusion of proceedings.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bandile Edgar Wallace Masuku (born 2 November 1975) is a South African medical doctor and politician serving as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since May 2019. He was the Gauteng MEC fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandile_Masuku
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Phalama Jacob Mamabolo (born 10 March 1969) is a South African politician of the African National Congress. He was elected to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in the 2014 election, and was appointed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Mamabolo
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tasneem Motara (born 7 December 1982) is a South African politician from Gauteng. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), she has served in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and Gauteng Exec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasneem_Motara
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
“He had also directed the local government turnaround strategy workstream on governance to work closely with the municipality to ensure that the matter was finalised expeditiously.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the evidence count confirms no relevant sources were found.
info
“Meanwhile, DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala said he will be taking the matter to the public protector’s office, saying the funds were a blatant failure of governance and accountability.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala stated he would take the matter to the public protector's office is supported by the context of the web search results, but the specific statement and action are not corroborated by a second independent source, although Wikipedia confirms his political standing.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mokhaugelo Solomon Chabalala (born 1976) is a South African politician and a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for the Democratic Alliance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsol_Chabalala
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of members of the sixth Gauteng Provincial Legislature, as elected in the election of 8 May 2019 and taking into account changes in membership since the election. The legislature dissol…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_6th_Gau…
schedule
“Municipal spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni attempted to downplay the seriousness of the matter and instead became defensive and launched an attack on Sowetan for biased reporting of Emfuleni’s issues.”
PENDING
schedule
“He also said the R23.9m already spent on salaries is exaggerated.”
PENDING
schedule
“Emfuleni has been one of the worst-performing municipalities in Gauteng in matters of service delivery.”
PENDING
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“The national department of water and sanitation had to intervene with the municipality after its managers failed to provide a consistent supply of water to homes.”
PENDING
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“Last month, Emfuleni municipal accountant Martha Mani Rantsofu was killed in an apparent hit while running errands in Vanderbijlpark.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.