City of Tshwane caps overtime after 80% of officials found to be delaying work for extra pay

702's Bongani Bingwa interviews Eugene Modise, Acting Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane.

Listen below:

The City of Tshwane's executive team has taken active steps to enhance service delivery, including the introduction of new refuse fees and targeted efforts to address long-standing challenges.

Despite these initiatives, the city continues to grapple with serious issues, such as ongoing billing inefficiencies and excessive overtime costs that reached over R600 million in the 2023/24 financial year.

According to Modise, a significant portion of these overtime expenses stemmed from employees intentionally delaying the completion of tasks to qualify for additional pay, with an estimated 80% of officials reportedly engaging in the practice. 

"The gravity was big but we are managing it now."

- Eugene Modise, Acting Executive Mayor – City of Tshwane

In response, the City of Tshwane has implemented a cap on overtime expenditure, though concerns remain about how this may affect service delivery.

RELATED: Tshwane assures residents service delivery won’t be impacted by employee overtime cuts

To address this, a special dispensation has been introduced allowing overtime only in emergency situations, Modise explains.

He adds that new technology has been deployed to enhance accountability – officials are now required to carry handheld devices that log their arrival times at job sites and track the work performed.

"We compile a report so that we are able to juxtapose it with the timing that you are claiming of overtime."

- Eugene Modise, Acting Eexcutive Mayor – City of Tshwane

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.