The DA can today reveal a syndicate operation which has cost the Tzaneen Municipality over R210 million in questionable overtime bonanza payments to staff since 2013.

According to a report tabled in council recently, overtime expenditure in the municipality in the past 7 financial years stands at a staggering R211 million while service delivery in the municipality continues to crumble.

To put this into context, municipal officials earned a generous R23.5 million in 2013/14 financial year.

This ballooned to R34.3 million in 2020/21, representing a massive increase of approximately 40% in the same period.

The report further shows that at least 60% of the municipality's employees (431 out of 660) have been receiving overtime pay every month for the past consecutive seven years.

In addition, between 47 and 253 employees have been claiming more than 40 hours for overtime every month.

In a extraordinary display of the abuse of the municipality's overtime reward system, one employee claimed 194 hours, totaling R88 634.16 in November 2021.

Employees in the Solid Waste Management Division in the municipality are the serial abusers of the overtime reward system throughout the municipality having amassed a record R7.4 million for the 2021/22 financial year.

It is very clear from the excessive millions spent annually between 2013 and 2021 that municipal officials have been abusing the overtime reward system without any intervention from the different ANC mayors in charge.

While there is nothing wrong with the principle of overtime pay for additional work, employees in Tzaneen Municipality are permitted a maximum of 194 hours for over time work in a month which is beyond the normal standard rate for overtime.

It's a disgrace that these municipal officials are on a self-enriching crusade at taxpayers' expenses while service delivery suffers.