Aggrieved members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) in Tshwane toyi-toyied to the Department of Public Works on Thursday to register their grievances against what they call “Minister of Twitter” as well as a plethora of shenanigans that are going on in that department.
“The Minister of Twitter” referred to here is Dean McPherson, who they accuse of being forever absent from his office but runs the department by using Twitter messages.
Leader of the marching NEHAWU members Zolani Masoleng who is also the union’s Tshwane Secretary, told Tshwane Talks during the toyi-toying event that in less than one year after being appointed as Minister of Public Works, McPherson has already visited more than 10 countries internationally at the expense of the state.
“When we try to engage him the Minister doesn’t come to the party, we have written several letters to him since 30 July last year and up until now he hasn’t responded to our concerns,” he said.
Other grievances that led to NEHAWU members embarking on the march is that the Departed of Public Works building where they work doesn’t meet Occupational Health standards, all emergency exits are locked with chains, cars belonging to workers are being stolen daily from the parking bay yet there are security guards there and when they write to the Department’s Director General in this regard, he always says this is not his problem; that we are on our own and that they will have to see as to how they recover the stolen cars.
It has also emerged that there is no clean drinkable water at the Department of Public Works headquarters in Tshwane; the building is old and the dirty carpets there are a health hazard as some workers are now suffering from respiratory diseases like sinus infections: the lighting is poor; lifts are not working properly and once or twice every month employees get stark in the lifts and the security guards there are poorly equipped because there has been two incidents of break-ins while they (security guards) were on duty.
The workers also complain about a leaking roof which allows water to flood the building.
“In October 2024 we invited officials from the Department of Labour to come and conduct an inspection of the building and after making assessments they issued some restrictions regarding some risky areas in the building which are not safe to be inhabited,” revealed Masoleng.
He said the employees are concerned that the last time a “fire drill” was conducted was in 2018 before the Covid-19 era.
“Each time the Occupational Health Standards committee raises issues of concern such issues are suppressed by either the Director General or Deputy Director General,” he lamented.
NEHAWU insists that the Department of Public Works is technically bankrupt because it has an outstanding debt of over R15 billion as well as overdrafts and R300 million of tax payers money was stolen after the Department’s system was hacked.
Masoleng said the current CFO of the Department of Public Works is not fit for the job as there are always incidents of financial leakages.
It has also emerged that the Public Works Department intends deploying some workers to the Johannesburg headquarters and workers are concerned that this will inconvenience employees financially as well as in terms of their family responsibilities.
“At the moment it is puzzling there the Department of Labour has not shut down the dilapidated Public Works building,” fumed Masoleng.
Another worry is that there is also an intention by the Department of Public Works to outsource its call centre and workers see this as a blatant move by officials to give tenders to their own comrades.
At the end of the march, the enraged employees pasted huge replicas of their memorandum on the outside wall of the Department of Public Works building so that they can be seen by all and sundry.
Deputy Director General of Government Risk and Compliance Lwazi Mahlangu received the memorandum handed to him and acknowledged the demands of the employees.
“The management appreciates the fact that the march by labour union NEHAWU has been peaceful and the memorandum will be escalated to high-ranking officials of the department for further processing,” said Mahlangu as he indicated that it is important for the Department of Public Works to respond to the demands of the employees within the stipulated 14 days.
Copy of Memorandum:
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