This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
Mail and Guardian writes that turning to the courts could be the only way to force the Northern Cape legislature to investigate allegations about how a company contracted to revamp its building did not complete the work.
The tender, awarded to Emzansi Projects in 2016 after the building was declared unsafe as a working environment, has cost the province R35.2-million. According to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), although the legislature was aware of these allegations, the same company was awarded another tender worth R22-million. The province has not confirmed this. These allegations are in documents that form part of a legal battle between the legislature and Nehawu. The union claims that the speaker’s office failed to investigate fraud allegations related to the refurbishment of the legislature building. Nehawu unsuccessfully sent letters to the speaker of the legislature, Newrene Klaaste, demanding that she appoint an independent forensic investigator to look into at least R22-million that was spent on work that was never done. The government’s health and safety inspectors, who visited the building in 2019, three years after the tender was issued, identified structural, design and wiring problems that needed urgent attention and recommended that the building be closed for repairs. The union has since blamed the secretary of the legislature, Patrick Moopelwa, suspended chief financial officer Garth Botha, project manager Mike Muller and the former manager, Gladman Siyo, who were responsible for overseeing the project. Nehawu branch secretary Mpho Merriman claimed no work was done. But, the company concerned has denied these allegations and said that the work “has been concluded”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lizeka Tandwa at Mail & Guardian (paywall access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page