Tutor at CSP says he’s paid short, or late

Academy’s director denies allegation

Afreelance tutor at CSP Training Academy claims he was not been paid his full salary for months, and was often paid late, which he said amounted to “slavery.”

Felix Myolisi Keva said he started working for CSP on March 1 after a short interview with the principal.

“My first payment was paid a week after the agreed pay day with the principal,” he said.

“When I asked the principal about my real pay day, she told me she had already sent the necessary documentation [timesheets] to her husband, who is the director of the school, as he is the one who pays salaries.”

Keva said he had then asked for her husband’s phone number and then called him to discuss the matter.

He had then hoped the issue had been resolved but instead said his salary was cut by R1,200 from what had been agreed upon.

He said it was explained to him that this was due to the days he had not pitched for work.

“I was told that a no-work, no-pay protocol is used but I was deeply shocked to have been deducted such a huge amount for a national public holiday [Human Rights Day],” said Keva.

He said his salary had continued to drop and then he opted to take the matter to the CCMA.

“I went to the CCMA with the hope of getting a legal practitioner who will mediate the issue and come up with an amicable solution that will benefit us all, but ultimately found out that going there was a futile exercise as my case ended up in thin air.

“CSP had eight working staff when I joined them in March, four tutors, two admin staff and two cleaning staff. When I left it had only two tutors and one admin lady.”

When Keva asked about his predecessor, he was told the school had dismissed him due to bad behaviour.

“When I asked my colleagues about the payment delays, they said it was the norm at the school to get paid late.

“That is when I went to the CCMA as I cannot work for free,” said Keva.

He said one of the principals begged him to return to the school and he was promised to be reimbursed the money that was due to him.

“This affected the learners’ education and had disastrous effects as some were forced to go and rewrite at other institutions,” he said.

In response, CSP Training Academy director David Muhoma said Keva was an “opportunist” who had worked at the institution as a freelance tutor.

“Keva has not been attending classes for long as he always come up with stories.

“He is trying to blackmail me because I am a quiet person and I have been tolerating him for very long,” said Muhoma.

Muhoma said Keva had often asked him for money when he was faced with financial difficulties, and that he had always tried to help him.

“The time I was sending him that money he was not attending to my students, I was helping him as a black man, but right now he wants money for Christmas or something and wants to use other channels so that I can be pushed. I am not pushed by that,” he added.

Muhoma said he had received numerous cellphone messages in which Keva swore at him because he [Muhoma] told him he could not give him money.

“I told him that I also have a family to feed and I can help him to an extent.

“I cannot continue [to give him money] because I have a good heart,” he said.