More than 4,500 former employees of Bosasa, later known as African Global Operations, have been waiting for outstanding salaries and retrenchment benefits since the company’s liquidation in 2019, with Sanlam confirming that R2.188 million remains payable to eligible members of the African Global Operations Provident Fund. According to Sanlam, 187 claims have been processed and about R342,000 distributed, while 1,004 former workers remain eligible for benefits.
The payout process has been painfully slow for workers like William Mokoena, a former Bosasa employee who told the Sowetan he has spent years navigating bureaucracy without clear answers. “We went to the Master of the high court, constantly submitting and signing papers,” he said. “They never told us what was going to happen; we only knew that we were supposed to get our funds.”
Mokoena said the delay has taken a heavy toll on his family. “This has completely destroyed me in my spirit because I have two kids who are university,” he said. “Even NSFAS is not enough.”
Sanlam head of communications Mologadi Makwela confirmed that claims are being handled incrementally. “Claims are processed on an ongoing basis as and when members submit completed benefit claim forms and the required supporting documentation,” Makwela said, according to the Sunday Times. However, Makwela also stated: “No further distributions will be made to members,” the scope and implications of which remain unclear.
Bosasa collapsed into liquidation in February 2019 after years of corruption allegations, including evidence before the Zondo Commission that the company paid bribes to secure lucrative government contracts. The liquidation left thousands of workers locked out of the company’s Krugersdorp headquarters, many sobbing and uncertain about how they would pay rent or feed their families.
The Supreme Court of Appeal issued a media summary in May 2022 in a Bosasa-related case, reflecting ongoing litigation around the liquidation. A report by Head Topics, aggregating Sowetan reporting, claims a high court order issued shortly before publication required liquidators to submit Bosasa financial records including bank statements, trust deeds, and share certificates. This claim is supported by only one source in the material reviewed and could not be independently verified by CapeFlats.co.za at the time of publication.
The exact number of workers linked specifically to the provident fund, versus the broader pool of affected former employees, also remains unconfirmed by a second source. Individual payout amounts reported in the Sowetan, ranging from R800 to R20,000, were not independently verified.
What remains unclear is whether the R2.188 million still outstanding represents the final settlement for all eligible former Bosasa staff, or whether further legal proceedings could unlock additional funds. CapeFlats.co.za will seek confirmation from Sanlam and the liquidators by close of business on Friday and will update this report accordingly.