During our joint campaign for Premier Candidates in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape (EC) held in Kokstad, we engaged with a group of EPWP and Department of Transport representatives’ workers outside the Kokstad Post Office.
Many had travelled from as far as Bizana, Ntabankulu, Mt. Ayliff and Mt. Frere in the Alfred Nzo District in the EC, hoping to receive their overdue monthly stipends, unpaid since February 2024.
This situation was brought to our attention after Athol Trollip encountered people sleeping on the steps outside the Post Office on Tuesday evening. Upon further investigation, he found that many were employed by the Department of Transport and Public Works, through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
It became clear that these individuals eagerly awaited the Post Office’s opening in order to collect their wages from the Kokstad Post office because the Post offices in their towns are shamefully either closed or don’t have electricity. Among their grievances was the absence of payslips or documentation detailing their remuneration.
Workers claimed they had entered into 12-month contracts with their employers in October 2023, yet they were merely verbally informed of their duties and daily rates without any formal documentation.
Unfortunately, these workers cannot access their below minimum wage stipends of R880.00 per month for eight days of work (R110.00/day).
Unfortunately, the Kokstad Post Office struggles to handle this influx of recipients, treating them with little regard.
The Post Office manager defensively explained that due to the financial challenges they face, they have to resort to historical financial drawdowns to requisition funds to pay recipients, leading to a shortage of funds during such influxes.
We later learned that the Post Office manager warned the crowd against political exploitation of the issue, emphasising that such problems have persisted for many years. This situation highlights the South African Post Office (SAPO) and Post Bank’s inability to fulfil their responsibility of dispensing stipends to State employees in a dignified manner.
The neglect of workers’ rights and well-being within our government structures is alarming and unacceptable. We as ActionSA will not tolerate this exploitation of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Our interaction with those outside the post office and our engagement with officials at the SAPO was aimed at understanding the circumstances we unexpectedly encountered.
This proactive approach reflects the commitment of ActionSA activists and provincial leaders.
We firmly believe that only through Action can we Fix such issues in South Africa. We are resolute in our mission to represent the interests of South African citizens and enact positive change.
To this end, we will write to the Ministers of Transport and Public Works regarding the payment protocols for these workers in order to ensure that appropriate and effective payment protocols are established to allow for on time dignified remuneration.
Whenever these workers are faced with such challenges the cost of receiving their stipend remuneration escalates dramatically which erodes their already meagre remuneration as they have to make multiple trips to pay points and many can’t afford to return home so have to resort to sleeping on the pavement until the Post office has enough funds to pay them.
Yesterday we even witnessed the local Post office manager Mr Bokang saying that in order to assist those who had “camped” outside he would make part payments to them. We as ActionSA reject such arbitrary decisions with the contempt they deserve as they disrespect the rights of workers to be paid what is due to them.
Additionally, we will also write to the CEO of SAPO concerning the underlying reasons and repercussions of their inability to disburse these stipends.
Urgent Call to Address Worker Exploitation and Neglect in KZN and EC
During our joint campaign for Premier Candidates in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape (EC) held in Kokstad, we engaged with a group of EPWP and Department of Transport representatives’ workers outside the Kokstad Post Office.
Many had travelled from as far as Bizana, Ntabankulu, Mt. Ayliff and Mt. Frere in the Alfred Nzo District in the EC, hoping to receive their overdue monthly stipends, unpaid since February 2024.
This situation was brought to our attention after Athol Trollip encountered people sleeping on the steps outside the Post Office on Tuesday evening. Upon further investigation, he found that many were employed by the Department of Transport and Public Works, through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
It became clear that these individuals eagerly awaited the Post Office’s opening in order to collect their wages from the Kokstad Post office because the Post offices in their towns are shamefully either closed or don’t have electricity. Among their grievances was the absence of payslips or documentation detailing their remuneration.
Workers claimed they had entered into 12-month contracts with their employers in October 2023, yet they were merely verbally informed of their duties and daily rates without any formal documentation.
Unfortunately, these workers cannot access their below minimum wage stipends of R880.00 per month for eight days of work (R110.00/day).
Unfortunately, the Kokstad Post Office struggles to handle this influx of recipients, treating them with little regard.
The Post Office manager defensively explained that due to the financial challenges they face, they have to resort to historical financial drawdowns to requisition funds to pay recipients, leading to a shortage of funds during such influxes.
We later learned that the Post Office manager warned the crowd against political exploitation of the issue, emphasising that such problems have persisted for many years. This situation highlights the South African Post Office (SAPO) and Post Bank’s inability to fulfil their responsibility of dispensing stipends to State employees in a dignified manner.
The neglect of workers’ rights and well-being within our government structures is alarming and unacceptable. We as ActionSA will not tolerate this exploitation of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Our interaction with those outside the post office and our engagement with officials at the SAPO was aimed at understanding the circumstances we unexpectedly encountered.
This proactive approach reflects the commitment of ActionSA activists and provincial leaders.
We firmly believe that only through Action can we Fix such issues in South Africa. We are resolute in our mission to represent the interests of South African citizens and enact positive change.
To this end, we will write to the Ministers of Transport and Public Works regarding the payment protocols for these workers in order to ensure that appropriate and effective payment protocols are established to allow for on time dignified remuneration.
Whenever these workers are faced with such challenges the cost of receiving their stipend remuneration escalates dramatically which erodes their already meagre remuneration as they have to make multiple trips to pay points and many can’t afford to return home so have to resort to sleeping on the pavement until the Post office has enough funds to pay them.
Yesterday we even witnessed the local Post office manager Mr Bokang saying that in order to assist those who had “camped” outside he would make part payments to them. We as ActionSA reject such arbitrary decisions with the contempt they deserve as they disrespect the rights of workers to be paid what is due to them.
Additionally, we will also write to the CEO of SAPO concerning the underlying reasons and repercussions of their inability to disburse these stipends.