26 March 2026
Phalwanda Malange from Tshidongololwe says she is owed four months’ wages under an Expanded Public Works Programme project that collapsed at the end of 2025. Photo: Thembi Siaga
About 350 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers in Limpopo’s Thohoyandou area say they have not been paid for several months.
The workers were part of an EPWP project funded by the Independent Development Trust (IDT) and implemented by the Collen Mashawana Foundation (CMF), a philanthropic non-profit established by the founder of Afribiz Invest.
Workers started in July 2025 on contracts expected to run for five months. Some worked the full period but were only paid for one or up to four months and some were never paid, they say.
Phalwanda Malange from Tshidongololwe said she is owed for cleaning at schools and crèches R126 per day for 14 days per month. She worked for four months.
“I demand my money because I was told to sign a payment sheet by a CMF worker. Due to high unemployment, I continued working to support my four children, but I received nothing. R1,764 for one month is not fair,” she said.
In November the IDT announced the withdrawal of the CMF and an investigation. It had issued a notice for clarification to the CMF about its procedures around payments to workers.
Emmanuel Muravha, who was employed as a supervisor in the project, said, “Some signatures were forged, and some unpaid workers refused to sign the payment sheets.”
In December, the CMF said it was committed to paying workers for the period prior to its withdrawal, but the IDT would pay workers directly, not CMF.
Muravha told GroundUp that some workers’ banking details were verified but payments had still not been made.
Ntombi Mavuso, CMF finance manager, said, “We cannot comment on the matter. The IDT should be able to provide answers.”
IDT CEO Sfiso Nsibande said only 280 of the 350 participants had come forward to be verified. He said payments will only be made to verified participants “by next week”.
According to the IDT, CMF had paid workers from July to September. Workers are owed 28 days of unpaid work in October and November 2025.
In its notice, CMF said it had not been paid by the IDT for the “period in question”.
The IDT is conducting an independent forensic investigation into allegations of forged signatures and irregularities in attendance registers and payment sheets. However, it declined to provide further details, saying the matter is now “sub judice”.
Published with the Limpopo Mirror.
