WATCH: Tshwane defaults leaves critical infrastructure guards without pay for months
Tshwane has entered into payment arrangements with security companies, as “Tshwane currently has financial difficulties,” says Corporate and Shared Services MMC Kingsley Wakelin.
Security guards protested outside Tshwane House in the CBD on Thursday, saying that they haven’t been paid a salary for more than three months.
The group of about 50 guards work for private security companies and were “outsourced” to protect metro infrastructure.
They claimed that the metro had defaulted on paying its security services providers and more than 2 000 of their colleagues in the metro haven’t been paid since March.
The security guards marched under the banner of the Tshwane security forum.
They are employed by about 24 different companies servicing the metro, of which 17 have failed to process salaries, affecting employees.
In addition to not being paid, the guards said they were underequipped as well.
“We are working without any identification as security officers such as uniforms,” said forum spokesperson Humbulani Netshianane.
“We also don’t have any equipment such as batons and torches.”
He also said that they have been working without any contracts.
Netshianane said their various company supervisors were also unreliable as they failed to engage Tshwane on the matter.
“Our supervisors and companies are useless because they give us different dates in terms of our salaries, and it leads to non-payment of our salaries, which is the problem we are facing now.”
Academic and Professional Staff Association (Apsa) national organiser Sam Khuti said the metro had been disregarding the outsourced companies.
WATCH:
“The outsourced services are corrupt. Tshwane officials are in cahoots with these companies; this is why outsourcing remains in the metro.”
Khuti argued that the metro should not treat security as a temporary job sector, through reoccurring tender bids.
“Security is a permanent job that the city needs.”
He said the metro should stop saying that they have no money.
“Not after they have boldly announced that they recouped about R700-million through the Tshwane ya time campaign.”
Khuti said it was unfair that MMCs and other officials continued to collect their salaries while “critical employees” haven’t been paid for months.
“There is always money for various officials and projects – but no money for these workers.”
He said the metro had to hold the outsourced companies accountable, especially when it comes to poor management issues such as a lack of employment contracts.
Corporate and shared services MMC Kingsley Wakelin, receiving the memorandum, said that the metro “currently has financial difficulties”.
Wakelin said the metro had met with the outsourced security companies the previous day over the lack of payment.
“Some of these security companies were engaged by acting chief operations officer Nava Pillay and have been paid.”
He said Tshwane had made payment arrangements with the various companies.
“I am, however, worried about the lack of communication with their employees on the ground.”
He urged employees to notify Tshwane metro supervisors of any non-payment issues.
ALSO READ: Tshwane incurs R13-billion in irregular expenditure
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