The Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture is in hot water once again and may soon be stripped of its assets.
This comes after the department brazenly ignored a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) order to pay nearly R200 000 in overdue salaries to eight employees of the Down Town Music Hub (DTMH).
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that, despite being ordered by the CCMA to pay R191 724.63 by July 31, the department has failed to make the payment.
In its ruling, the CCMA said: “The applicants were employed in various positions with different salary scales.
“The respondent admitted that salaries were not paid and cited the delay in receiving a government grant.
“Given that the respondent confirmed the applicants’ claims, I find that they failed to pay the required salaries.”
Now, furious workers who have not received a pay cheque since April have returned to the CCMA, asking it to enforce the award.
This marks the second leg of their case. If granted, it will allow the employees to seize the department’s assets to recover what they are owed.
Workers want order enforced
One devastated employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “We were hoping the department would do the right thing.
“We have families to look after, and we have bills to pay, but clearly, they just don’t care. If we have to sell their furniture to feed our kids, so be it!”
Thabiso Putswe from the Hotellicca Trade Union said: “The department has not paid the workers. We’re going for full enforcement now, which means attaching assets at the Down Town Music Hub. They’ve left us no choice.”
The workers were left in the lurch after the sudden closure of DTMH, a decision announced by Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie.
The closure triggered legal action, with the CCMA siding with the employees who had not been paid for April, May, and June.
Sunday World first broke the story on July 3 when the CCMA issued the award. A month later, the department has offered no apology, no explanation, and no payment.
It was approached for comment but had not responded by the time of publication. The story will be updated once the department has responded.
