NTI Salary Crisis Under Business Rescue Linked to 14 Employee Suicides

The North West government’s three state-owned bus services — North West Transport Investment (NTI), North West Star, and Atteridgeville Bus Service — are in even deeper trouble than when they were first placed under business rescue in 2022.

Originally meant to save the operations from collapse after years of mismanagement and suspected financial irregularities, the rescue process has instead coincided with debt ballooning from R355 million to a staggering R1 billion. Meanwhile, hundreds of employees have endured months without pay.

The human cost has been devastating. According to court records, at least 14 employees have taken their own lives over the past year, while one worker reportedly died of starvation. Families have lost homes, cars, and access to medical aid.

One employee’s wife, identified only as “Kelebogile” in legal papers, described in an email how her husband had worked for NTI his entire career, yet had not been paid since January. The couple’s cars were repossessed, their children forced out of school, and they now face imminent eviction. “We are not asking for charity,” she wrote. “We are asking for what is owed.”

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The ongoing crisis is fuelled by legal battles between two business rescue practitioners — Mahomed Mahier Tayob and Thomas Samons. A Pretoria High Court judge removed Samons from the rescue process last year after finding that staff salaries were consistently sidelined, but Samons is appealing the decision, arguing that Tayob has no legal authority to act.

At the heart of the dispute is control of company funds. Tayob has asked the court to order the transfer of money from an ABSA escrow account, allegedly opened without Treasury approval, into an official account so that salaries can be paid. With Samons opposing this move, a quick resolution seems unlikely.

For the 1 500 families depending on NTI wages, the delay is crushing. Legal teams have described the situation as a “severe humanitarian crisis” that needs urgent court intervention.

This article is based on reporting by City Press. You can read their full detailed investigation here.