Residents of Ward 60 in Pretoria West, who are also members of the South African National Civics Organisation (SANCO), marched to the local Pretoria West hospital on Monday to demand jobs for at the health facility, this as they are local residents.
Leader of the marching residents Sindile Taunyane told Tshwane Talks at the hospital that they were embarking on the mass action to submit a memorandum to the hospital’s authorities calling for it to strongly consider employing locals for jobs at the hospital.
“We managed to negotiate an agreement with the hospital’s authorities in this regard, but this agreement was spoiled by our local Ward Councillor who approached the hospital’s authorities to challenge the said agreement and changed it for his own benefit,” said Taunyane.
He said the Councillor, Mpati Raphela then appointed his friends in several projects, supply management positions and ordinary jobs, including his own wife.
“We are here to raise our con even about our local Councillor who has failed us not only on the issue of job opportunities at Pretoria West hospital but is presently also failing us on various issues as members of the community,” he said.
“We want a return to the original agreement between us and the hospital and the scrapping of the agreement entered into by the Councillor and the hospital authorities,” said Taunyane.
The Councillor’s wife is said to have been employed as a cleaner while his friends and relatives have been appointed to other positions at the hospital through the influence of the Councillor, to the total exclusion of members of the community.
According to Taunyane, some of the ongoing projects to which Councilor Raphela has apparently secured employment for his acquaintances are the renovation of the hospital’s mortuary, kitchen and storeroom, and there is also supposed to be renovation of residential flats for the hospital’s staff members.
“We are also going to submit a petition against the Councilor to our local municipality office which must be handed directly to the Speaker of City of Tshwane Council and also go to the local police station to clear our names as the Councillor has opened a case against us as leaders of the community,” explained Taunyane.
“We might also decide to open a counter charge against him as he has opened a case of defamation of character and harassment,” said Taunyane.
Taunyane pointed out that at the moment unemployment in Pretoria West is very high and the hospital has the capacity and ability to alleviate the situation by employing 50 people from Ward 60, this as there are many women who are heads of households and are depending on the government’s R350 for survival.
Community leader and also ANC member Papi Monnakgotla expressed concern that the Councilor never cooperates with ward members, works alone in various projects including the hospital projects where he has ensured the employment of his acquaintances.
Monnakgotla pointed out that they as members if South African National Civics Organisation used to work well with the previous Councilor, but things have changed since this one took over.
He said the Councilor must not be allowed to have an influence at the Pretoria West hospital as it is not a City of Tshwane local government entity but belongs to the Gauteng Provincial government.
Ward 60 SANCO secretary told Tshwane Talks that local residents want to be employed in positions like gardening, working as porters and also be included in EPWP programmes, security guards, cleaning and clerical, this as many youths in the area are into crime because they are unemployed.
Malatjie stressed that some of the people who didn’t vote for Ward 60 Councilor are the ones who are actually working at the hospital while they who actually voted for him are unemployed.
SANCO’s memorandum was received by Pretoria West CEO Dr Sizeka Maweya, who promised to attend to the the demands stipulated in the memorandum and respond within seven days as requested.
“I am well aware of the accusations made against me by the so-called community but it is only a few individuals who are involved in hijacking projects like at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Weskoppies hospital and also at Pretoria West hospital who are trying to tarnish my name by calling themselves members of the community and SANCO,” said the embattled Ward 60 Councilor Mpati Raphela in response to scathing allegations against him.
“I have opened a case against those making defamatory accusations against me and I want to point out that my wife has been working at the hospital long before I could become Ward Councilor, and how can I then be accused of nepotism because I don’t work at the hospital while they are the ones who are always in contact with the hospital’s authorities,” said Raphela.