DESPITE a court ruling in favour of firefighters, the ministry of housing and urban development has not yet paid the E17 million in overtime allowances, prompting the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to order the ministry to do so sooner.
This was the response from the PAC yesterday after the controlling officer (PS) Dr. Simon Zwane said no employee had worked over 208 hours, which contributed to delays in payments.
He said the office required further clarity regarding the report received from the fire department.
The employees are owed E17 498 464.27. Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba expressed disappointment with the PS’s response regarding the firefighters’ issue. He said the PS should avoid making the matter seem trivial and emphasised the importance of addressing civil servants’ concerns. Mamba argued that no employee would contest an issue without valid grounds.
“When the country has an under-expenditure of E17 million reserved for employees, why was it set aside if they don’t qualify for the money? The controlling officer confidently claims no employee qualifies, so why was the money allocated in the first place? Mamba emphasised that they would not accept this situation, stressing that the employees must be paid as the courts had ruled in their favour.
Dvokodvweni MP Sifiso Shabalala said the courts had ordered the payments after all necessary submissions were made. He questioned the relevance of counting hours in this matter and whether the courts were informed of this condition. Shabalala also raised concerns about whether the employees were aware of the required working hours or if this issue was being introduced to them now.
“The problem is that no firefighter meets the criteria, and I want to ensure the hours were calculated correctly,” Zwane said.
Ngwempisi MP Bhekibandla Vilakati criticised the ministry for years of inaction. He said firefighters risked their lives and would not fight for nothing. He said the ministry’s actions were unacceptable, questioning why the matter was taken to court and why funds were budgeted for if the allowances were not meant to be paid. Vilakati urged those in power to soften their stance and emphasised that the money comes from government, not individuals.
Somntongo MP Sandile Nxumalo said the employees won the case fairly and dismissed claims of a collective agreement issue.
He accused the ministry of disregarding the court’s ruling and questioned who was responsible for delaying the payments. Nxumalo argued that any concerns about a collective agreement should have been presented to the court.
“You had all the time to challenge this, but didn’t. Now you’re in contempt of court, and any reservations should have been raised there,” said Matsanjeni South MP Sabelo Ndlangamandla. He expressed disbelief that anyone would fight for money they had not earned and urged the ministry to stop delaying and pay the employees.
“I can’t claim I worked five hours when I didn’t. These employees deserve their money. The ministry knows they worked, so why deny it now?” he added, accusing controlling officers of contempt and urging compliance with the court order.
PAC Deputy Chairman Manzi Zwane said government lost all cases on the matter, from CMAC to the High Court, and there was no valid reason to withhold payments. He criticised the ministry’s leadership, questioning its motives and respect for the three arms of government.
“The money is there, the budget was approved by Parliament, yet the ministry delays. Is someone trying to prove a point?” he asked, doubting claims that no employee qualified for payment.
The PS explained that overtime claims were processed but found invalid as no employee exceeded the required 208 hours. He said the ministry was still seeking clarity and would submit a report to the court in July after consulting with the ministry of public service.
