TimesLive reports that the horseracing industry has been told by MPs to clean up its act when it comes to the living conditions of grooms employed at facilities in the sector.
Grooms are responsible for the welfare and maintenance of horses. On Wednesday, parliament’s portfolio committee on labour met the management of horseracing and betting operator Phumelela Gaming and Leisure to discuss the working and living conditions of grooms. This came after the committee conducted an oversight visit to the North Rand Training Centre at the Randjesfontein racecourse in Midrand in August. There it discovered “appalling conditions at the hostels, where four or five men shared one small room, with gas stoves for cooking located outside their rooms.” Phumelela’s representatives indicated that the grooms' hostel facilities were leased to racehorse trainers, who were the direct employers of the grooms and responsible for their wellbeing. The committee told Phumelela and the grooms’ associations to work closely with racehorse trainers to resolve challenges in the sector, including compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
- Read the full original report in this regard at TimesLive
- Read the Portfolio Committee’s press statement in this regard at Parliament News
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