LIMPOPO – The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has called on the provincial government to place Great North Transport (GNT) under business rescue.

GNT, a bus service provider throughout the province, is owned by the provincial government and is a subsidiary of the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (Leda).

Recently, GNT has been in the spotlight due to various issues, including the non-payment of pensions to former employees.

During a protest outside Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba’s office, former employees demanded their unpaid pensions.

Ramathuba addressed the protesters and requested their contact details to expedite assistance.

Leo Gama, spokesperson for GNT, assured that they are committed to ensuring everyone receives their money.

He reported that out of 1 063 claims, 991 have been processed and are being finalised. Efforts are ongoing to trace and process the remaining 172 claimants, with 45 already contacted.

Gama admitted challenges, such as dealing with deceased claimants’ families and verifying information with banks and the South African Revenue Services.

Meanwhile, the DA highlighted further issues within GNT.

The company’s offices have been closed, and staff were recently locked out due to non-payment to the security provider for over six months.

Additionally, the diesel supplier, Transversal, is owed R9m. The DA says only 30 out of a fleet of 422 buses are operational.

Provident fund and medical aid contributions have also reportedly not been paid, causing Discovery Health to threaten to withhold benefits from staff.

Jacques Smalle, a DA Member of Parliament, emphasised the need for accountability from Leda for GNT’s multiple crises, dereliction, and delinquency. He stated that the directors of GNT, appointed by Leda, must be held responsible and that immediate action is necessary.