News24 reports that a team of MECs has been appointed by North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo to deal with the issues at the centre of the ongoing strike by members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu).
Nehawu members have been strike for a month at the provincial health department over the awarding of a R180m contract to Gupta-linked company Mediosa. The premier has instituted forensic investigations into allegations of procurement irregularities in the contract, but investigators have apparently been unable to access documents and information in the premises of the health department. Mahumapelo's spokesperson Brian Setswambung on Thursday said the premier had appointed a team of MECs to work with the provincial health and social development departments as part of his intervention. He called on striking workers to return to work while the issues were being resolved through the intervention team. Nehawu provincial secretary Patrick Makhafane denied that the strike action could have affected the investigations, saying that blaming it was "an excuse to run away from the allegations."
- Read this report by Tammy Petersen in full at News24
- Read too, Mahumapelo blames Nehawu strike for stalled probe into Gupta-linked company contract, at News24
- And also, Mahumapelo appoints team to probe health, social development departments, at IOL News
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page