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North West, South Africa: As the North West Provincial Government is looking at avenues to address the North West Transport Investment (NTI) challenges, the MEC for the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari, is faced with an unenviable task of getting short term solution for the entity’s financial troubles.
The NTI employees went to Mahikeng on Wednesday evening and, on Thursday morning, disrupted the traffic flow near the Provincial Legislature precinct. After senior officials from the Department engaged them, they then agreed to leave.
Midway on the trip back home, they decided to go to Potchefstroom, where MEC Lehari was part of the Provincial Government leaders preparing for President’s Imbizo.
According to their representative, Dave Mamaragane, the aim was to be part of President’s Imbizo to raise their issues.
The MEC thence called a meeting with them, which was attended by the HOD, Dr Hans Kekana, Chief Director for Transport Operations, Mmaserame Dayel and other senior officials from the Department.
The troubled NTI employees were last paid three months ago. After engagements, the MEC said there must be regular meetings to update employees on what Department is found to address their issues.
Importantly, workers will be paid this coming Wednesday.
Their representative appreciated this.” “We heard a lot of negative things, but we appreciate that MEC Lehari sincerely works hard to resolve the NTI challenges. However, we also wish to implore the Government to intervene and sustain our workers” salaries; their pension funds and medical aid must be reinstated,” he said.
The Head of the Department, Dr Hans Kekana, said sustainability and stability of NTI is the Department’s first point of interest and are working to turn the” “entity into an oiled machine. The NTI should be in a position to pay workers creditors and sustain itself,” said Dr Kekana.
In closing the meeting, MEC Lehari said continuous engagements with the workers will ensure workers get unbiased information.
“We will have regular engagements even if, in some instances will be on virtual platforms to clarify to workers where we are in coming up with the solution”, said MEC Lehari.
The Provincial Government needs substantial figures to pay not only for salaries but to pay the creditors as well.