No September pay for Trafalgar lifeguards
The municipality confirmed that it has been unable to pay the service provider due them not being in compliant with SARS or tax matters requirements.
Lifeguards who guard Trafalgar Beach and other beaches on the South Coast say they have not received their September salaries.
They say most of their problems started when their employers who are contracted by Ray Nkonyeni Municipality to man the municipality’s beaches were replaced by other contractors.
One of the lifeguards who did not want to be named for fear of being victimised said what frustrates them the most is that their employers are nowhere to be found.
He said the last communication they received from their employers was that they no longer work for the service provider, Umthonjaneni as its contract with the municipality ended recently.
He added that they were told that they are now employed by a new company and their jobs were safe.
“Truth is we are not happy with the treatment we get here, we complain but no one takes our complaints seriously. We do not even have money to get to work, to buy groceries or toiletries. Our families are starting to think we do not want to buy food for them like we usually do. What irritates us the most is that we can’t even get hold of the directors of the new company although we have their contact details and they have ours. It now feels like we are doing volunteer work which is wrong because we have families to feed and ourselves to look after,” he said.
The Fever also struggled to get comment from the new contractor before going to press.
Meanwhile, Ray Nkonyeni Municpal spokesperson, Simon April, confirmed that the municipality has been unable to pay the service provider due them not being compliant with SARS or tax requirements.
April said their system automatically blocks payment towards such service providers.
“Upon enquiring with the service provider, they indicated that they have sorted their issues with SARS however it will take 21 days for them to be cleared. Unfortunately, we as the municipality are unable to process their payment up until they are cleared by SARS,” said April, adding that the fact that lifeguards have not been paid is not of RNM’s making.
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