Tears flowed outside the Gauteng High Court on Tuesday as hundreds of North West Transport Investment (NTI) employees demanded immediate payment of salaries unpaid throughout 2025.
Established in 1973 as a parastatal wholly owned by the North West Provincial Government, NTI—through its subsidiary Northwest Star—has long been a cornerstone of public transport in the North West Province, serving commuters since the Bophuthatswana era. However, chronic mismanagement, financial irregularities and forensic probes dating back to 2013 have plagued the entity, leading to judicial management in 2007 and conversion to a state-owned company.
By 2019, NTI faced R264 million in liabilities amid looting allegations. Provisional liquidation loomed in 2020, with revenues falling R69 million short of expenditures.Voluntary business rescue began in July 2022 under practitioner Thomas Samons, who was ousted in April 2025 by court order for failing to secure employee payments or account for funds. His replacement, Mahomed Mahier Tayob, aims to restructure amid ongoing probes by the Hawks and SIU. Despite inter-provincial task teams formed in 2023 to rescue operations, NTI’s Gauteng contracts—vital for revenue—remain mired in subsidy disputes.Workers, some with both spouses employed by the troubled operator, told of families surviving without income for an entire year.
“We can’t even put bread on the table or buy sanitary pads,” said Lorraine Sekwati, breaking down in tears.
NTI says it cannot pay staff or subcontractors because the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has withheld monthly subsidies over disputed invoices.
Employees and contractors brought an urgent application to compel the department to release the funds before Christmas. The department opposes the urgency, stating subsidies can only be processed in January 2026.
Despite many routes no longer operating, workers say they are threatened with disciplinary action if they do not report for duty.Judgment was reserved until Thursday. If the application fails, hundreds of families face a salary-less festive season.