Budget problems leave prosecutors without bonuses

STATE prosecutors who have qualified for the National Prosecuting Authority’s annual performance bonus say they are being sent home with an IOU for Christmas, after the Chapter 9 institution failed to make payments due to a “lack of funds”.

The NPA’s failure to commit to a date of payment has resulted in the Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) filing a dispute with the General Public Service Sector Bargaining Council (GPSSBC).

Performance bonuses are calculated in the NPA’s annual budget.

Despite inquiries sent by the Weekend Argus to the NPA, it could not account for the shortfall of funds.

State prosecutors were required to sign a performance contract in April. The NPA would then allocate a merit bonus to prosecutors who had achieved 75 percent or above, based on work performance.

Prosecutors indicated they took on an extra workload and worked overtime to meet the benchmark, often neglecting to spend time with their children and spouses.

State prosecutors who spoke on condition of anonymity said the NPA was bound by a contact to pay the money which was normally in their accounts by September or November.

“I am working at the NPA for more than 20 years and this is the first time that we were told that there is no money. I can not even take my kids on a vacation for a few days and I have relied on that money. We are now forced to stay at home. Many of us are demotivated.

“The NPA does not pay interest on the amount due either,” said a prosecutor.

A leaked email outlining feedback on the performance rewards explains that the NPA is only able to authorise payment once funds become available.

NPA national spokesman, Luvuyo Mfaku, said: “All the qualifying employees will be paid within the prescribed period.

“The data is captured manually, at this stage about 78 percent of the employees have been processed.

“Payments are effected in batches incrementally.”

However, senior public prosecutor in the Western Cape and president of the PSA Rashid Daniels said to the union’s knowledge, the NPA had not made any payments.

This had lead to the union declaring a dispute with the GPSSBC.

The union represents more than 250 000 members in the public service sector.

Said Daniels: “During the last quarter of this year, the NPA informed members that they will go ahead with the payment of notch increments for the assessment period 2015/16.

“This assessment period came to an end on March 31 already. Part of the assessments also meant that some members qualified for performance bonuses. In this regard the NPA indicated that they do not have the funds to meet their obligations.”

At the Departmental Bargaining Chamber (DBC) the NPA was not in a position to commit to when payment will be made, said Daniels.