THE City of uMhlathuze’s security service provider has threatened to take legal action against the mayor, Cllr Xolani Ngwezi.

This after the municipality last week issued a media statement accusing Freeman Security Services of failing to pay its employees.

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In a statement, Ngwezi said he had become aware of serious allegations relating to the non-payment of security personnel employed by Freeman Security Services (PTY) LTD, which provides security services to the municipality.

Ngwezi says several employees approached him claiming the company had repeatedly failed to pay workers’ salaries.

“The disgruntled employees allege that this unfair labour practice started in 2025 and is continuing unabated. The employees claim that they have only been paid for two months since the start of 2026,” said Ngwezi.

He added that he had requested an urgent meeting with the Department of Employment and Labour as well as the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) to investigate the matter.

“The city is of the view that a proper investigation is needed in order to help these employees who find themselves under such an unfair situation.

“The municipality wants the scope of the investigation to be widened to determine whether the company is paying employees’ provident funds and meeting its tax obligations,” said Ngwezi.

He described the allegations as ‘serious’ and said they could not be ignored.

“I will do whatever it takes to ensure the protection of workers’ rights. We hope that both the Department of Employment and Labour and PSIRA will act with the necessary speed in trying to resolve the matter,” he said.

Freeman response

According to a statement issued by the company concerned, the municipality currently owes them R11,692,976.40 for services rendered.

It warned that any further allegations of non-compliance or negligence against the company would be treated as defamatory and met with legal action, while further blaming the municipality for the salary delays, and citing the city’s failure to pay outstanding invoices within the 30-day period stipulated in the service level agreement.

“Since the very start of our contractual engagement, our organisation has been forced to navigate terrible and unsustainable conditions,” the company said, claiming that more than R3-million remains unpaid for additional sites added to the contract in August 2024.

“We have been forced to carry these costs and pay security officers working at these locations out of pocket, based on repeated promises that an internal committee first needs to approve these sites,” the company claimed.

It added that some invoices dating back to August 2024 remain unpaid despite continuing to provide services, including deployments to high-risk areas such as pump stations and libraries without functioning alarm systems.

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