Staff reporter
Bloemfontein – The department tasked with road maintenance and refurbishment is accused of failing to pay 39 members of the controversial Pothole Eradication Programme (PEP) following a settlement reached after the intervention of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
According to documents in the possession of this publication, the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport was to pay the 39 applicants R27,000 each, amounting to a total of R1.053 million, on or before 30 September 2026.
The conciliation was held on 20 August, and the commissioner was Darren Colby.
Frustrated beneficiaries said they were simply told that the project had been suspended, without any notice or explanation, and that this was not the first time it had happened.
“When we were told to stop reporting for duty in the first year because of money, we returned a few months later. When it happened for the second year, no one bothered to come back to us.
“We just received a WhatsApp text, and that was it.”
Another beneficiary said they had decided to flood every Facebook post by FSPG with comments relating to their settlement because no one seemed to care.
“We have been waiting patiently, and no one cares, so we opted to flood every social media post with our pleas because when this project started, the Premier was MEC.”
The PEP has reportedly claimed at least two lives due to chemicals, yet no one seems to care.
AGSA
The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) has also raised a red flag over the programme.
Hawks
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, is also investigating the programme.
History
The beneficiaries must brace themselves for a drawn-out battle. The Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport has a history of doing the opposite of what legally binding orders and judgments require.
Monnapule Ntamo
Labour Court ordered the Department to impose a sanction to Ntamo after he was found guilty on two charges.
Instead, he was reinstated and offered more money.
Norman Selai
Free State High Court ordered reinstatement of Norman Selai after it declared the erstwhile Head of Department, Dr Masego Tshabalala didn’t have the authority to suspend and axe him, he is still at home.
Premier vindicated (maybe not)
In other news, Free State Provincial Government claims Premier Joyce “Pretenders” Mathae is vindicated as R709 was officially opened yesterday.
Mathae in her own words said she terminated New Beginnings Projects which was not supposed to be appointed in the first place.
WATCH
The company that was appointed is none other than Tau Pele PTY and accirdibg to Patrick “The Butcher” Phuti, CEO of New Begginings Project he was given R2 million by Tau Pele for Mathae.
To date, Mathae has not done anything to Phuti
Tau Pele has not responded to our questions about that allegation sent on the 9 October 2024.
How is Mathae vindicated when a criminal case is awaiting NPA to decide?
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