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Sunday World reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) is demanding immediate criminal prosecution of Mafoko Security Patrol following court findings that the company deducted provident fund contributions from workers’ wages but failed to pay them over.
Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi expressed the federation’s outrage: “This is not a mistake. It is a deliberate act of theft and contempt for the law, a corporate crime committed against some of the most vulnerable and exploited workers in our country.” Describing the situation as a national scandal, Vavi said thousands of Mafoko security guards have been affected over the years. He was ecstatic that the authorities had found the firm guilty.
Vavi noted that the Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA) had found Mafoko in clear violation of Section 13A of the Pension Funds Act (PFA), which makes non-payment of contributions a criminal offence. Moreover, the High Court in Ga-Rankuwa dismissed Mafoko’s attempts to block enforcement, confirming that PFA determinations were civil judgments enforceable by law. Vavi revealed the staggering scale of the alleged theft, noting that “Mafoko owes workers an estimated R111-million to R330-million in stolen contributions, a staggering amount that exposes the deep rot in the private security sector”. He expressed disgust at the perceived inaction from authorities. Vavi said Saftu and its affiliates would organise meetings, pickets, and marches to demand justice for all affected workers.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mzwandile kaBizokwakhe at Sunday World
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