NEHAWU Limpopo Statement On the Outsourcing Of Data Capturing by The Deparment Of Public Works, Roads, & Infrastructure
Friday March 16, 2021
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) in Limpopo is shocked and utterly disgusted by reports that the Department of Public Works Roads and Infrastructure spends thousands and possibly millions of rands in outsourcing functions that the department has an adequate in-house capacity to undertake.
The department has procured services of company called Blue Stone just to do scheduling of the received data capturers applications by the department despite the department having a fully functioning human resources department. NEHAWU is convinced that these revelations are a mere tip of the outsourcing and corruption iceberg in the department stemming from the looting and pillaging the department's money by the Head of Department, Timothy Seroka.
The money that is being spent on this company was supposed to have been used to pay officials in the human resource department as overtime if scheduling of applications could not be completed during normal working hours and we strongly believe that such overtime would not have amounted to over two hundred thousand rands.
It is ridiculous that the department which is known as the "handy man" of the state and a crucial player in job creation through Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) resorts to outsourcing even the most basic of its functions.
The trend seen in the Limpopo Department of Public Works Roads and Infrastructure is but only one example. In reality, many government departments resort to outsourcing basic functions such as a letter writing and report compilations for thousands of rands. Through outsourcing, government departments waste millions of rands which could be better spent in creating jobs, providing roads, housing and better healthcare services for the poor.
NEHAWU demands an end to outsourcing of any function in the Limpopo provincial administration. Aside from threatening jobs and wasting millions, contracted out services make public control and accountability impossible and this provides a breeding ground for corruption and dishing out of contracts to acquaintances and relatives.
As NEHAWU in the province, we are adamant that government must utilize its in-house capacity to provide services and directly employ workers instead of relying on expensive and greedy consultants.
Issued by NEHAWU Limpopo Secretariat Office
Jacob Adams @ 082 558 5966
Khaya Xaba (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 082 455 2500
email: khaya@nehawu.org.za