The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] welcomes the resignation of the Director General: Department of Home Affairs, Mkhuseli Apleni. His resignation was long overdue and as the national union we believe that it should have taken place long ago.
During his ten years tenure Mr Apleni used his authoritarian style of leadership to persecute our members and workers. His departure will relieve our members and workers from his reign of terror in the department which went on unabated for far too long. As NEHAWU, we hope the next DG will be someone of integrity and not a person who is unprincipled like Mr Apleni. The department renders very significant services to both the country and its citizens therefore it requires a reputable leader at the helm.
NEHAWU has been at the forefront of highlighting the many blunders caused by the former DG including losing millions in tax payers’ money on legal fees while trying to avoid paying workers for Saturday work. Instead of spending money on paying workers, providing transport and child care facilities he spent it on lawyers while the department had a functioning legal department. The department has been lagging behind in service delivery because of short staffing and an overworked workforce. The DG made matters worse by declaring a moratorium on the filling of funded vacant posts.
This former DG was also involved in the granting of citizenship to Gupta family members even after their previous requests were denied in the past. As NEHAWU, we hope he will avail himself to testify on the neutralisation of the Guptas because it took place under his watch as the DG.
The national union believes that the departure of the former DG will fix most of the problems that are currently engulfing the department. As union organising in the department we once again commit ourselves to working hard to do away with the service delivery issues that continue to plague the department.
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968; December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969; Khaya Xaba (NEHAWU Media Liaison Officer) at 082 455 2500 or email: khaya@nehawu.org.za