Staff at Gupta-linked media outlets anxious over pay delays

Journalists at former Gupta-owned ANN7 news channel and The NewAge newspaper were on Tuesday considering a go-slow because they have not been paid.

Affected staffers say management repeated the same ”excuse” they received last month about a “technical glitch” when the payment of salaries were delayed.

”Jimmy [Mzwanele] Manyi hides in his office away from staff. It is the same painful experience as last month when we waited to get paid … meanwhile unpaid debit orders pile up, and will cost us more money in penalties … we are demoralised and just tired of these episodes,” says one employee at the Midrand head office.

In February, employees faced a numbing possibility of not receiving salaries, but were later paid in ”batches” between the 26th and 27th.

The fugitive Gupta brothers sold the media house to Manyi’s Lodidox last year through vendor financing.

This suggested the Guptas loaned Manyi the money to buy their media entities.

Meanwhile South African authorities are looking for Indian-born Gupta brothers Ajay, Atul and Rajesh who fled the country as allegations of state capture mounted against them and their associates.

The family is rumoured to be in Dubai as Indian authorities on Monday reportedly extended their deadline to appear before tax authorities to answer to allegations that they brought in money illegally into the country and obtained properties irregularly.

Earlier this month authorities in India raided Gupta properties in Dehradun and Saharanpur.

All major banks in South Africa have stopped doing any business with Gupta-linked companies.

The exception was India’s Bank of Baroda which has since announced that it will cease operations in the country.