Cartrack told The Citizen it would not reply directly to the publication’s questions, but would instead release a statement during the course of the day.
A person claiming to be a former Cartrack employee has made a series of allegations against the company, alleging that customers were unfairly charged and that staff were subjected to a hostile work environment.
Cartrack specialises in vehicle tracking, stolen vehicle recovery, fleet management and asset monitoring solutions. Using GPS tracking, telematics and data analytics, it helps businesses and motorists improve vehicle security, operational efficiency, and driver safety.
However, the company, headquartered in Rosebank, Gauteng, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. On Monday, Cartrack rejected the claims that an employee who passed away at its offices was denied the opportunity to go home.
Are trackers working?
On Wednesday, an individual claiming to be a former Cartrack employee made numerous allegations on the social media platform X about what is happening inside the company, including allegations affecting customers.
The individual alleged employees at the company are trained to push back against clients’ objections. and that many of the company’s devices do not actually work.
“Clients are paying a significant amount of money under the assumption that their tracking devices and cameras are functional. Many are not,” the person alleged.
“The cameras in particular were a known problem. In an emergency, clients have discovered that their tracker does not work, and their camera does not work. Clients are paying for a security service that fails precisely when they need it most.”
Cartrack told The Citizen it would not reply directly to the publication’s questions, but would instead release a statement during the course of the day. However, the company’s media statement released on Thursday afternoon did not address the allegations raised by the publication. Any additional response by Cartrack will be included once received.
“Over the past few days, the family of Gcina Dhladhla has taken the time and space to grieve the unimaginable loss of a beloved daughter and family member. Yesterday, the family and representatives from Cartrack met to speak openly, share information and discuss the way forward,” read the joint statement between the company and the family of the deceased.
“Both the family and Cartrack are united in wanting the facts to be fully established through the ongoing independent investigations and are committed to fully supporting those processes.”
Customers are never assisted
Another allegation is that customer complaints are rarely addressed because the client services department is overwhelmed.
“The client services team is overworked and under-resourced. Clients wait. Problems persist. Nothing gets fixed.”
Cartrack has also been accused of debiting deceased clients, despite being informed that the individuals have passed away.
“Family members had called to notify the company, to request a payment plan, or to cancel. It did not matter. The debits continued. Cartrack was aware. They did not act.”
Unable to retain employees
On allegations of a hostile work environment, the former employee alleged that the company fails to retain employees, resulting in the need to hire in bulk on a recurring basis. The individual has suggested that this speaks volumes about the working conditions
There are also allegations of racism within the company.
“Black employees were told they had to accumulate leave days before they could take leave. Meanwhile, white management took the entire month of December off and returned in the second week of January,” she said.
Employees not allowed to use elevators
Another allegation that has been made before is that employees are not allowed to use elevators. The alleged former employee added that they developed a knee condition as a result of having to climb several flights of stairs to reach the fourth floor.
“There is an elevator. It is locked. To use it, you need a specific person, believed to be a handyman, to come and unlock it,” they said.
“He is often on the other side of the building. You wait. But at Cartrack, every minute counts. If you are not seated and have not made your first call by 08.00 in the morning, you are declared late. Not if work starts at 08:00. You have to be seated and dialling before 08.00.”
Fired for not wearing black or work uniform
The person further alleged that some employees were fired for not wearing black or the company uniform on the day the CEO visited the offices.
“When the CEO visited, everything changed. Employees who were not wearing black or the company uniform had to borrow something to cover up. People have reportedly been fired for wearing the wrong colours when the CEO was present,” they said.
“What he saw on those visits was not how the office operated on any other day.”
Forfeiting commission
The former employee added that warnings cost employees their commission.
“There was an officer who monitored the hallways and stairwells. If you made any noise, including giggling, answering a phone, or footsteps on the stairs that were deemed too loud, you received a written warning.
“Warnings meant no commission. People walked in silence, afraid to breathe too loudly. This was the environment.”
Another allegation is that employees were monitored by cleaners for how long they spent inside the bathrooms. “This is the level of surveillance and control that employees were subjected to on a daily basis.”
Water outages and mobile toilets
It was alleged that during a water outage, employees were not sent home. Instead, the company hired mobile toilets.
“Two mobile toilets for an entire building of thousands of employees. You were expected to use them or be marked absent. Refusing because you were uncomfortable meant it went on your record, regardless of the circumstances.
“Employee health was not the concern. The targets were.”
Cartrack told The Citizen earlier this week that it was “saddened and shocked” by “false claims circulating on social media” surrounding Dhladhla’s death.
“These claims are deeply distressing, particularly at a time when our colleague’s family, friends, and colleagues are grieving her loss,” Cartrack told The Citizen.
Cartrack and family stand ‘united’
In the joint statement released on Thursday, Dhladhla family representative, Thamsanqa Mbuli, said, “We’d like to thank Cartrack management for their cooperation, allowing an organic first discussion that was open and transparent. Our intended objective of clarifying the sequence of events leading up to our beloved daughter, sister and colleague’s passing was achieved. This is one of many other important steps in the healing process for the family.”
“Our colleague was a valued member of our team, and this loss has been deeply felt across the organisation. We remain deeply committed to supporting the family, cooperating fully with law enforcement and the Department of Labour, and ensuring that every fact is uncovered and established through the appropriate processes,” said Joshua Victor, CEO of Cartrack SA.
The statement said “the heart of this tragedy is a much-loved daughter, family member, friend and colleague. Everyone affected by her passing is grieving and searching for answers, and both the family and Cartrack believe that those answers should come through a careful, fair and evidence-based process.”
“We want Cartrack to feel welcome to attend the funeral and to show their support,” said Phumzile Dhladhla, Gcina’s aunt.
“Cartrack is deeply grateful for this kindness and the opportunity to pay our respects,” read the statement.