BREAKING NEWS: Security guards lock the Malaria Institute’s gates
Workers, including management at the Malaria Institute in Tzaneen were left stranded outside the premises on Tuesday morning, after security guards locked the gates in protest over unpaid salaries.
The security guards employed by GNT Security company say they have not been paid since May and one of their colleagues was killed by someone he owed money because of the failure by GNT to pay him.
The leader of the protesting guards, Joel Ledwaba confirmed that Maxwell Nkumeleng, who was residing at Talana Hostel was brutally killed two month ago by a money lender.
The guards vowed not to open the gates until they received their money and the security company was replaced.
Ledwaba said the problem started in June last year when GNT took over from the previous company. “We have never been paid in time since last year. Sometimes we get the money on 2nd, 15th, 25th, the last day of the month and some months we were not paid at all,” he said.
The guards said their families are suffering because they have no money to support them. They say they could not reach the area manager of GNT Security company, since he was constantly unavailable on his cell phone.
The protesters say the owner of the company, Vusi Mashaba told them that he has not been paid by the government.
The manager of Malaria Institute, Erick Mabunda, said the security company was paid on time very month and they are surprised the security guards have not been paid.
“So far we have honoured our contractual obligation by paying the company every month. It is up to the management of the company to pay their workers,” said Mabunda.
Attempts to reach the owner of the company, Vusi Mashaba, drew a blank as his cellular phone just rang unanswered.
