Employees say he pocketed their UIF payments
Baroka FC boss Khurishi Mphahlele’s meter-reading company is being investigated by the Department of Employment and Labour for allegedly misusing nearly R1-million in COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
This after employees of his company, African Meter Reading, complained to the Department of Employment and Labour’s Gauteng inspection and enforcement head, Sibusiso Mkhize, that Mphahlele did not pay them the funds he claimed from the department on their behalf.
Sunday World can reveal that upon receiving the complaint, Mkhize wrote a letter to Mphahlele instructing him to submit all the COVID-19 documentation so that he could investigate the complaint.
Dated June 8 under the headline “Notice of Inspection by Department of Employment & Labour”, the letter, which Sunday World has seen, reads in part: “You are required to produce [e-mail] the following records, which you are required to keep in terms of the labour legislation, which will be inspected: attendance register of employees of the last two months; signed employer contract/ letter of appointment of two employees; information about remuneration [payslips/envelopes]; overtime leave pay of the previous two months belonging to two employees.”
In addition, Mphahlele was asked to send a company letterhead and a copy of the Cipc (Companies and Intellectual Property Commision) certificate and a list containing the names and ID numbers of all employees.
An employee, who didn’t want to be named for fear of victimisation, confirmed that they complained to the department.
The employee alleged that Mphahlele claimed over R500 000 in March and just under R500 000 last month on their behalf.
“We the employees who read the City of Joburg meters worked in April and were paid our full salaries, but were not paid the UIF he claimed. In May, we returned to work but were only paid the UIF, but not our full salaries,” said the employee.
Mphahlele confirmed that the department was probing his company. He said he has already handed over all the documents required. But he refuted the allegations that he misused funds. Mphahlele said:
“The workers did not work in April, but I paid them full salaries. The COVID-19 funds I claimed in April were just over R500 000 and less than their total salaries, but I spent over R1.2-million on their salaries. The May funds were just less than R500 000 and I spent over R1.1-million on salaries. So, who lost the money? It’s me.”
He said he had explained the payments to the employees. Meanwhile, Mphahlele’s legal woes are mounting after Ntiyiso Mathebula of PJ Mathebula Attorneys obtained a warrant for Mphahlele’s arrest following his failure to comply with a high court order to pay papgeld for four children he has with his disputed wife.
“I don’t have children with that woman, I am not going to pay. I am not challenging the court order or appealing anything, I won’t pay, they can do whatever they want. I am not paying, they are not my children,” he said.
Limpopo police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed the police received the warrant of arrest, noting they will act on it once their legal department has confirmed its authenticity.
