* This story has been updated with SANDF comment.
A Philippi woman working at 2 Military Hospital in Wynberg says she hasn’t been paid for over a month and suffered a bleak Christmas and New Year’s Day as a result.
The 22-year-old who asked to remain anonymous is employed as part of the hospital’s kitchen staff and says she’s about to lose her home because she can’t pay rent.
Their duties are to transport and distribute the meals to the patients at the facility.
However, the woman says that she and her colleagues are yet to be paid their December salary.
She explains: “We started on the 4th of December and they said that we are going to get paid on the 15th but it didn’t happen that way.”
With minimum communication from her employer, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), the woman says that they are still expected to fulfil their duties
She adds: “They said the hold-up is in Pretoria and that we might get it at the end of the month [January] but we also don’t know.”
The SANDF acknowledged the Daily Voice’s query about the matter and said they had responded but no email was received by deadline. Follow up calls went unanswered.
In 2021, medical interns at the hospital downed tools over a similar payment dispute, saying that they had not received a cent for several months.
Meanwhile, the woman is in a financial predicament as her rent of R2500 is behind and she owes loan sharks who charge up to 50% interest.
The young woman concludes: “I’m struggling with transport fare and even now my fridge is empty. I have been borrowing money and I must figure out how I’ll go to work [today] because I’ve run out of options.”
SANDF spokesperson, Colonel Makopo said that the SA Military Health Service is aware of the salary situation.
“Thirty one food service assistants and one supervisor are currently employed by the SANDF to render services in the kitchen at 2 Military Hospital.
“The SAMHS can confirm that it is in the process of paying the outstanding salaries of its employees for the December month,”he said.
“The process of paying these outstanding salaries has begun and it is anticipated to be concluded shortly.”
Makopo said that steps have been taken to address the non payment of salaries.
“Additionally, we have taken steps to address the root cause of the issue and prevent it from happening again in the future,” he said.