The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the Northern Cape notes with concern and utter disgust the ongoing bullying and victimisation of our members and workers at the Northern Cape Consumer Protection Authority which is the under the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

As NEHAWU in the province, we hold a strong view that no proactive and tangible action has been taken by the department to ensure that the matter is resolved speedily. To our dismay, the department has also not acted on the outcomes of the 2017 independent investigation report which was instituted after our members and workers complained about the conduct of the executive manager of the Consumer Protection Authority. For a couple of years our members have been complaining about staff victimisation, preferential treatment and general poor management of the institution by the manager.

We find it bizarre that the department still insists on keeping the manager in his position after the investigation report painted a bleak picture on his management of the institution. The report noted that he had poor managerial skills and was unable to run the institution in a proper manner. Moreover, he continues to interfere with the work of inspectors while failing to provide them with working tools which directly affects their performance assessments. 

NEHAWU has written to the office Head of Department [HOD] at the Department of Economic Development and Tourism numerous times about the unbecoming conduct of the executive manager and his poor mismanagement of the institution. However, all our written communication has been ignored by the HOD. Our calls for an immediate suspension of the manager has also fallen on deaf ears.

This has further infuriated workers because they believe that the department does not take serious their concerns and the wellbeing of the institution. In this regard, if nothing is not done in the next 14 days we will be left with no option but to mobilise our members for a strike action.

Issued by NEHAWU Northern Cape Provincial Secretariat For more information contact: Steffen Cornelius [Provincial Secretary] at 082 455 1792 or Tebogo Mompati [Provincial Deputy Secretary] at 063 685 2461