Limpopo DA lays charges over GNT pension crisis
The charges, filed at the Polokwane Police Station, relate to the non-payment of employee pension fund and medical aid contributions.
Jacques Smalle, DA Limpopo provincial spokesperson for economic development, environment, and tourism, said LEDA, as the sole shareholder, holds both statutory and fiduciary responsibilities for GNT's financial management.
'The scale of the crisis became clear during an urgent sitting of the Limpopo Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment and Tourism on Friday, May 23,' Smalle explained.
'This meeting, which followed the DA's repeated calls for GNT and LEDA to account, revealed unpaid contributions to three pension schemes totalling R6.78 million and affecting 945 employees. In some cases, employee memberships have already been suspended. If at least R1 million is not paid by the end of May, all memberships could be suspended, potentially resulting in permanent loss of pension benefits.'
Smalle attributed the crisis to 'years of corruption, mismanagement, and lack of accountability' at GNT. He added that the company's failure to implement a viable turnaround strategy further deepened its financial troubles.
'The situation at GNT is dire; it has become an unsustainable entity,' Smalle said. 'The charges laid include theft, fraud, and violations of both the Pension Funds Act and the Medical Schemes Act, all of which are criminal offences.'
In response to the allegations, Mthunzi Dlamini from LEDA acknowledged the outstanding contributions and said efforts were underway to settle the payments within the week.
'GNT has faced ongoing financial constraints in meeting its obligations,' Dlamini said. 'However, strategic steps have recently been taken, including the procurement of new buses to replace the ageing fleet and the launch of a bus lease programme aimed at increasing operational capacity.' LEDA CEO Thakhani Makhuvha said the LEDA is committed to resolving the issue.
'As the shareholder, LEDA has decided to step in and ensure that all outstanding pension and medical contributions are brought up to date,' Makhuvha said. 'We recognise the severity of the situation and apologise to affected employees. This is deeply regrettable.'
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
13 minutes ago
- IOL News
Leaked affidavit exposing Landiwe Ntlokwana's involvement in a multi-million rand scheme
According to the affidavit, Ntlokwana managed investor data, tracked payments, and even used her company's bank account — GTT Wealth (Pty) Ltd — to receive millions of rands from individuals drawn into Bushiri's now-notorious commodities investment platform. Image: Supplied A leaked affidavit has exposed Landiwe Ntlokwana, a former auditor and financial coordinator for Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, as a key figure in a multi-million rand investment scheme — and strongly suggests she is using her testimony under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act in a strategic bid to escape prosecution. According to the affidavit, Ntlokwana managed investor data, tracked payments, and even used her company's bank account — GTT Wealth (Pty) Ltd — to receive millions of rands from individuals drawn into Bushiri's now-notorious commodities investment platform. Her phone, she claims, was used by multiple committee members as the central point of contact for investor communication. 'The committee and I continued our administrative duties as described previously. My phone continued being passed around for whoever wanted to focus on that function,' she said. With a strong background in Microsoft Excel, Ntlokwana took responsibility for consolidating all investor information into a single master file, which she says was used by the IT team for internal reporting and to generate investor statements. The affidavit details the rapid expansion of the scheme and growing unrest within the church community. Ntlokwana describes how popularity surged beyond South Africa's borders, leading to complaints from international followers of Bushiri's Enlightened Christian Gathering Church who felt excluded from the opportunity. 'They started saying what was the point of belonging to a community where only a select few can participate in empowerment initiatives,' she said. These concerns, she claims, were taken directly to response, Ntlokwana says Bushiri called a closed-door meeting with her and five other women in his inner circle — Gladness, Rosemary, Shirley, Jumoke, and Memory. During the meeting, Bushiri announced the launch of a new investment round: Commodities Trade Cycle 3. This phase, however, was exclusive to high-net-worth individuals, with a minimum investment of R1 million. Despite her corporate background at firms like Grant Thornton and Allan Gray, Ntlokwana admits there were no formal contracts governing her role. Legal experts find this highly questionable. 'She's not an amateur. She knows how finance works,' said a senior investigator. 'The absence of contracts and the use of her company account are not rookie mistakes — they point to direct involvement.'Under Section 204, an accused may be granted immunity in exchange for full and truthful testimony. ''But such a deal hinges on credibility — something that could be Ntlokwana's biggest hurdle.'She handled the money, the records, and the investor lists,' the investigator continued. 'Now she's trying to claim she was just assisting — but this affidavit proves she was in control.' With Bushiri still in Malawi and his extradition proceedings stalled, Ntlokwana's testimony could close the case but she if found to be self-serving or unreliable, the prosecution could be left with little to stand on
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
'I don't want to clap him': Helen Zille speaks out on Liam Jacobs
Helen Zille has broken her silence on Liam Jacob's shock decision to leave the Democratic Alliance (DA) in favour of the Patriotic Alliance (PA). The former party leader claimed that there were 'no hard feelings' over the young MP's defection to the opposition. Speaking to EWN this week, Helen Zille commented on former DA MP Liam Jacob's decision to suddenly leave the party for another he had publicly criticised. She said: 'I like Liam, and I got on well with Liam. I don't want to clap him in any way. Helen hinted that there were no hard feelings on her end. She continued: 'It takes many years in politics to know that getting bashed about is part of what you bought into. And to know that you mustn't take yourself too seriously, and to know that you're going to get clapped from every single angle. You just have to dust yourself and get on with it.' The DA federal council chair alluded to Liam Jacobs's age and somewhat inexperience in politics. She added, 'Young people come in and get into the spotlight and enjoy the limelight. But the minute you get the spotlight, the next thing is that you're going to have your head cut off. And you're going to have to survive it. It takes some hard knocks to get to that point. 'I say to young people that when you get disillusioned, when you get angry, just remind yourself that there has never been a single person who left the DA who wasn't sorry afterwards'. @nexwavesa #NexWaveSA #HelenZille #LiamJacobs #ActionSA #SouthAfricanPolitics #PoliticalDrama #SAnews #WesternCapePolitics #CoalitionTalks #BreakingNewsSA ♬ original sound – nexwavesa In a Facebook Live with Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie and MP Ashley Sauls last month, Liam Jacobs revealed why he chose to leave the blue party for the green one. The 24-year-old is known for his bold questions in parliament and thought-provoking videos on social media. Liam claimed that in a recent parliamentary committee meeting, during which he critiqued the leadership of the National Arts Council, Gayton said something that touched him 'deep in my soul.' Gayton McKenzie has praised Liam Jacobs's decision to join the Patriotic Alliance. Images via Facebook: @gaytonmck He said of Gayton's words: 'He said to me, 'You call me a dictator when your party doesn't have one coloured person as a minister or deputy minister, despite coloured people making up the overwhelming majority of the vote'. When he said that, it was a moment when I swallowed my breath. At that moment, I knew it was time to come home'. He added, 'I knew I was being used. 'I feel genuinely loved and welcomed here. I am finally home'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
![[WATCH] Politricking with Tshidi Madia: Helen Zille](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache.primedia-service.com%2Fmedia%2Fd5vd1huv%2Fhelen-zille-politricking2.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26height%3D630&w=3840&q=100)
![[WATCH] Politricking with Tshidi Madia: Helen Zille](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic-mobile-files.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com%2Feyewn.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Eyewitness News
5 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
[WATCH] Politricking with Tshidi Madia: Helen Zille
Zille shares her reaction to the firing of Minister Nkabane and weighs in on the unresolved issues with Health Minister Simelane while addressing the party's growing public frustration with ANC-led policy decisions, including the NHI and Expropriation Act. She reflects on John Steenhuisen's leadership and the DA's performance in national and local government. She speaks about the party's ambition to become a majority party. She also delves into succession politics and why Paul Mashatile remains a 'no-go' for the DA. She addresses the controversy around Andrew Whitfield's dismissal, and the DA's strategic positioning on foreign policy—from Washington to Zuma in Morocco. She wraps up the conversation by reflecting on racial identity politics, Liam Jacobs' departure, and the DA's evolving relationship with voters.
