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The leadership of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) in the Northern Cape met with the management of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) which recently opened an office in the province. 

The meeting was convened as part of our ongoing campaign against corruption, irregular and wasteful expenditure, maladministration in the public service and in the parastatals including our broader fight against the looting of state resources. 

The meeting was also as a result of the frustrations that workers in the province have experienced from the 6th administration that continues to enrich certain individuals through corrupt activities. The slow pace of report backs and the fact that perpetrators continue to roam around offices and intimidate workers who expose corruption cannot go unabated. The union has therefore resolved to approach the SIU and request their intervention in investigating some of these serious allegations of corruption. 

As part of our immediate tasks, we have identified the following departments which stand out as looting pots and corruption havens in the province: the Office of the Premier, Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, the Provincial legislature, the Northern Cape Premiers Education Trust Fund and the Kakamas Water Board. 

The commitment and assurances made by the SIU have given us more hope that the fight against those who continue to steal from workers in the province will not be abandoned. As we continue the fight against an imminent resurgence leading to a possible 3rd wave of COVID-19 infections, we call on our members to guard against corruption in the name of procuring Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for their own protection. The cancer of maladministration, irregular appointments and financial misconduct cannot be left to the premier alone it must be a societal issue. 

Our message to those who misuse and abuse monies meant for services for the working class and the poor is simple, “prepare yourselves for an orange overall”. 

As NEHAWU in the province, we will not stand by while thieves masquerading as pseudo-intellectuals, technical experts and progressives steal the very little money left for the creation of a development state while the African National Congress (ANC) headed government continues with its austerity program of a “lean and mean” state. We call on all our members and workers in general to become whistle-blowers against thieves.

Issued by NEHAWU Northern Cape Provincial Secretariat