The Information Regulator has reassured employees that salaries due on 15 April have been paid on time, following a payroll system migration from Persal to Sage 360 that triggered concern from organised labour.
The clarification comes after labour union, the Public Servants Association (PSA), raised alarm over what it described as an “escalating crisis at the Information Regulator, where employees are facing uncertainty over salary payments, loss of essential benefits and exposure to unsafe working conditions”.
The Information Regulator is an independent statutory body established under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and accountable to the National Assembly. It is mandated to monitor and enforce compliance with POPIA and the Promotion of Access to Information Act across public and private bodies, ensuring the lawful processing of personal information and the protection of individuals’ rights to privacy and access to information.
The PSA said the transition from the Persal system to Sage 360 was “poorly executed, with inadequate consultation or safeguards in place. Employees now face uncertainty regarding payment of their salaries due on 15 April 2026.”
The union further alleged that employees were not paid full salaries during the transition period, but instead received pro-rata service bonuses.
Taking strain
It said these payments were “ordinarily associated with termination of service, raising serious concern that employees may have been processed outside the payroll system without their knowledge or consent. This directly contradicts the employer’s assurance that conditions of service would remain unchanged. The consequences of this failure are immediate and severe.”
The PSA added that staff were under financial strain due to disrupted remuneration, and raised concerns about tax deductions, pension continuity and benefits administration. “The situation is compounded by the apparent absence of medical aid contributions on payslips, placing employees at risk of losing access to critical healthcare services,” it said.
The union called for urgent intervention by the regulator’s leadership, including accountability measures and restoration of payroll stability.
“In view of these failures, the PSA calls for action by the chief executive officer of the Information Regulator who must be held accountable for the current crisis. The PSA further demands urgent intervention to restore stability.
“This includes the immediate payment of all outstanding salaries, full reinstatement of medical aid and pension contributions, strict compliance with all labour and safety directives, and the suspension of operations at 54 Maxwell Drive until the building is declared safe for occupation.”
Payment cycles
Responding to the allegations, Information Regulator spokesperson Nomzamo Zondi confirmed to ITWeb that employees on the 15th payroll cycle had been paid.
“We have two payment dates in the organisation, which are the 15th for permanent staff, and the 30th for those who are on contract and those under probation period. Those who receive their salary on the 15th have received their salaries,” she says.
Zondi said the regulator migrated its payroll system from Persal to Sage 360 with effect from 1 April, following its designation as a Schedule 3A public entity under the Public Finance Management Act, which required it to establish independent financial and human resource systems.
“As of 25 March 2024, the minister of finance proclaimed and listed the Information Regulator as a Schedule 3A (Public Finance Management Act), which then requires the regulator to separate from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development systems and secure its own systems and processes, such as the financial (payroll) and human resource systems through Sage 360,” she explains.
“The migration is still a work in progress, the salaries for the 15th have been successfully paid, and the regulator will process the month-end salaries on time.”
Implementation costs
Zondi says the migration project is being overseen by the CEO, executive committee, office of the CFO and HR, in partnership with service provider Applico, under a three-year contract valued at R1 240 243.95.
Zondi adds that contingency measures are in place to ensure payroll continuity, and notes that reconciliation processes will continue.
“Preventative measures would be implemented should something occur. However, the reconciliation of the staff members’ salaries will be a continuous effort to ensure accuracy and completeness.”
She also confirmed that staff received pro-rata service bonuses, which will be normalised according to employees’ bonus cycles. “The tax recalculations and reconciliation will be finalised by their actual bonus dates.”
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