The EFF is accusing Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana of failing to hold privately owned security companies and municipalities accountable for theft of workers’ pension funds.
The party also alleged that Godongwana was deliberately failing to execute his duties related to massive theft of employees’ funds.
In February, the EFF picketed at the offices of the Department of Labour and Employment.
During the picket, the party’s head of labour desk, Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi, met with the department’s officials.
It also met with the national bargaining council and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to discuss the matter involving the retirement fund of the workers.
“In light of these concerns and considering that there were serious issues of financial and fiduciary malpractice at the level of the private sector and government, which were beyond the scope of the parties who met on 22 February,” said the party.
Audit of all contracts
The party also wrote a letter to Godongwana, where he was asked to conduct a comprehensive audit of all contracts between the department, municipalities, and private security companies.
The exercise aimed at ascertaining compliance with Section 13A of the Pension Funds and labour laws with regards to health and provident fund contributions.
“The EFF proposed a decisive course to the minister of finance, which was that all non-compliant private security companies must be given a three-month period to repay workers’ monies into their respective pension funds should these workers remain active within the sector.
“If the companies have ceased operations or the workers themselves have retired, the repayment of stolen money must be paid to them [workers] directly,” said the EFF.
The red berets also stated that through motions and debates in parliament, the party will pursue the establishment of the parliamentary ad hoc committee that will comprise members of finance, law enforcement, and labour to persuade relevant stakeholders, security companies, municipalities, pension fund administrators, and asset managers to explain what had happened to the funds of the workers whose pensions were stolen.
