By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Luke Lushaba, the Chief Fire Officer(CFO) told Parliament that, firefighters won’t receive their R17million overtime allowances.

Responding to the Parliament Public Accounts Committee(PAC) on Thursday, the Chief Fire Officer stated categorically that, firefighters won’t receive their allowances and dismissed reports suggesting that, “there’s a court order directing Government to pay”.

Lushaba was clarifying the matter after Ngwempisi Member of Parliament(MP) Bishop Bhekibandla Vilakati demanded answers regarding the issue of the delayed allowances.

Worth-noting, the court directed Government to pay the firefighters and as a result, Principal Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Simon Zwane even wrote to the Chief Fire Officer, directing him to comply with the court order and facilitate the payment of the allowances.

But Lushaba has summersaulted, he told Parliament that there’s no court order awarding the workers their overtime allowances.

“Chairman, there’s no court order directing Government to pay firefighters their overtime allowances, as far as I remember, an order to their favour was appealed by Government,” he said.

It is alleged that, Lushaba vowed that, “firefighters won’t receive their overtime allowances while he is still the Chief Fire Officer”, the CFO is a former trade union leader.