Employees of a company contracted by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) say they have been forced to rely on their family members’ and children’s grants to survive after the company last paid them in September.
Workers employed by Rebone Business Enterprise told Sowetan they were hired to work on gravel roads in Orange Farm but have been struggling to survive after going months without pay.
One employee, a 39-year-old father of two, said the last time they received their salaries was in September.
“In December we were asked to return and finish the job because there was sewage blocking the area where we had been working. The sewage was flowing into people’s homes and needed to be fixed. We did the work and were promised we would be paid in January,” he said.
When payment did not arrive, the workers approached the JRA.
They were told the contractor had not submitted the supporting documents needed to process their payments.
We are surviving on my mother’s grant and my children’s grants. Other than that, we have nothing, which means there is often no food at home.
— 39-year-old worker
The man said he was owed about R30,000, excluding overtime pay.
“Now the company does not want to speak to us. We don’t know what is happening. There is no payment, nothing at all,” he said.
“We are surviving on my mother’s grant and my children’s grants. Other than that, we have nothing, which means there is often no food at home.
“It is painful because the company is not communicating with us. The sad part is the same company might be appointed again for another project here [Orange Farm].”
In an internal memorandum to workers dated February 25, which Sowetan has seen, the company gave workers the assurance all suppliers and workers owed money would be paid in full.
“This payment will be processed as soon as Rebone Business Enterprise receives the long overdue payment from the employer, the Johannesburg Roads Agency,” the company said.
“All regular update meetings regarding payments will be suspended until further notice. We have concluded these meetings are no longer productive until we have a confirmed payment date from the employer. Holding further meetings without a concrete update would be an inefficient use of everyone’s time.
“We want to give everyone owed our unequivocal assurance that you will all be paid. The delay is not of our making, but we are doing everything in our power to compel the employer to meet their contractual obligations.”
When asked to comment on the workers’ allegations, the company referred media queries to the JRA.
“We have referred your questions to them for official comment. The JRA is responsible for all public communications regarding this project. We will not be commenting further at this time,” said Nicola Nyambeni.
Another employee said she and her family were surviving on a child’s grant.
“It has been a very difficult five months of not getting paid. January was so difficult because my children were going to school. I have one child who is in varsity and needed money. I had to go to loan sharks.
“I have another one who is doing matric and has to go on camps. It has been difficult,” the 54-year-old mother of four said.
The JRA said there has been no delay on its side.
JRA HOD for infrastructure development, Kwazelela Mcetywa said the payment to Rebone Business Enterprise could not be processed because it had not submitted the required supporting documentation.
“The JRA is unable to process invoices that do not have documents that justify the items being claimed. Once the complete invoice is received, the JRA will process the invoice. To this end, the JRA is engaging with the contractor contractually to resolve any issues,” Mcetywa said.
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