NEHAWU Mpumalanga Calls On The Minister Of Employment And Labour To Suspend The Chief Director Of Provincial Operations In Mpumalanga Province
Tuesday February 16, 2021
NEHAWU Mpumalanga Calls On The Minister Of Employment And Labour To Suspend The Chief Director Of Provincial Operations In Mpumalanga Province
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) in Mpumalanga calls on the Minister of Employment and Labour, Honourable Thulas Nxesi, to suspend the Chief Director: Provincial Operations, Miss Margaret Mazibuko, from her duties with immediate effect.
The Chief Director failed to enforce and comply with the Disaster Management Act regulations and guidelines in managing the return to work environment for workers within the public service as directed by Department of Public Service Administration (DPSA). She forced an Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) unit official to report for duty while the said official was not feeling well and in desperate need of medical attention. The workers later tested positive for COVID-19 and Miss Mazibuko concealed the test results. Unfortunately, the worker passed on. A colleague who shared office space with the very same late official also tested positive for Covid-19.
The Department of Employment and Labour is responsible for monitoring and inspecting compliance for occupational health and safety in workplaces. In this regard, we are very shocked to learn that a senior manager such as Miss Margaret Mazibuko continued to display arrogance and failed to have the workplace decontaminated or fumigated even after she was engaged by organised labour.
Instead of fumigating the office in question after discovering that there was an official who tested positive for COVID-19, she opted to barricade the office. On 5 February 2021, upon further engagement with NEHAWU, she proceeded to barricade the kitchen and the ablution facilities close to the affected office. To date, the affected office and the entire building was never decontaminated and we view this as non-compliance with the COVID-19 Regulations.
The incompetent management instead of addressing workers resorted to literally abandoning their responsibilities and ran away. The action of the management is deemed as reckless, dereliction of duties and we believe that it has led to the loss of life and the endangerment of many others.
The Emalahleni community were appalled by her incompetency, dictatorial and myopic reckless management style, and opted to lock the gate of the premises. This then led Ms Mazibuko to try and break-in by vandalizing the gates of the departmental office which resulted in damage to property.
NEHAWU has opened a case (CAS 311/2/2021) with the South African Police Services (SAPS) against Miss Mazibuko. Furthermore, we call upon the Minister to immediately suspend the clueless and irresponsible Ms Mazibuko and appoint a competent Manager to act on that position in order to bring stability and sanity in the DEL Office.
NEHAWU believes her suspension is justified and creates an opportunity to send a clear message that dereliction of duty and endangerment of workers cannot be tolerated. The department must act harshly against managers who do not comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) 85 of 1993. In saving the lives of our members and the community at large the Minister is requested to act accordingly, failing which the national union will be left with no option but to mobilize all its members across all sectors for a total shutdown of all Department of Employment and Labour offices in the Mpumalanga province.
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Media Enquiries:
Mpumalanga Provincial Secretary; Welcome Mnisi -082 4552897
Mpumalanga Provincial Deputy Secretary; Dimakatso Matjee-082 558 5977
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968;
December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969;
Khaya Xaba (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 082 455 2500
email: khaya@nehawu.org.za