An issue with paperwork has seen construction at the R68m Noninzi Luzipho Primary project in KwaNobuhle come to a grinding halt while the school’s almost 1,000 pupils remain crammed in prefab classrooms a mere kilometre away.
The 38 workers downed tools on Monday after the implementing agent, Coega Development Corporation (CDC), allegedly failed to honour last month’s newly agreed hourly rate of R22.50 as opposed to the previous R16.67.
Work on the completely new building in Bantom Road – at least four times the size of the previous premises in Helen Joseph Street – is halfway done.
But instead of the usually active construction site where work began in July 2017, workers could be seen lazing around the site office on Thursday.
While the workers blame the CDC, the corporation has shifted responsibility onto the Eastern Cape education department, claiming it is awaiting payment to pay the workers.
The department has blamed the CDC for not submitting the correct documentation.
Whoever is to blame, workers Michael Mbekisa, Ndyebo Sfuba and Nzimeni Twangu said they would not work until they received payment according to the new rate.
“Another contractor in the area is paying their workers R32 an hour, double what we earned,” Mbekisa said.
“So we took it up with the implementing agent during a meeting at its offices on July 17. We agreed on the new rate which would be effected immediately.
“However, we are yet to receive any sort of payment, and it is already past the agreed-upon payment date of August 2.
“We inquired last week [with the CDC] and were told they were waiting on signatures to finalise the new rate.
“When we weren’t paid by Monday we decided that it is enough.
“We are simply asking the CDC to honour their side of the deal. And this project will not go forward until they do so.”
Sfuba said: “The CDC should be embarrassed they are paying these workers so much less than the minimum wage rate of R20 an hour.”
CDC spokesperson Ayanda Vilakazi said the matter was out of their hands as they simply deposit the money to the contractors, usually on the same day payment is received from the department.
“The CDC has not failed to honour its agreement – employee and employer-related matters are governed contractually and fall outside of the CDC scope,” Vilakazi said.“However, appreciating the gravity of the impasse between the parties, the CDC has interacted with the department as the project owner and made them aware of the challenges facing the project.
“We are optimistic we will receive positive feedback from the department.”
However, department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the claims submitted did not meet the requirements and payment would not be effected until the correct paperwork was submitted.
“Payment claims from the contractors have arrived at the department, through the principal and implementing agents, [but] are not compliant with the PFMA [Public Finance Management Act] standard requisites. As such, due to these discrepancies, we are unable to pay them,” Mtima said.
“We await these submissions with compliance for us to pay them. This should be done through the implementing agent and principal agent.”
Governing body member Nomvuyo Toze said the school’s 927 pupils were suffering as a result of the payment delay as they continued to cram into classrooms for multigrade learning.
School principal Danile Mavikela declined to comment.