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The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] welcomes the findings and recommendations by the Public Service Commission [PSC] in relation to the Eastern Cape Department of Transport. The PSC has declared that there has been recruitment and appointment irregularities in the department and in the scholar transport unit.

As NEHAWU, we are vindicated by the findings of the PSC as we have been always at the forefront of highlighting the corruption and maladministration that has been taking place in the department. Our members have been pleading with the departmental management to look into these allegations for the past two years with no positive results. Evidence of corrupt activities and wasteful expenditure were presented to management in 2017 but the department elected to ignore these glaring irregularities raised by our members.

Moreover, we welcome the findings as they vindicate our member, Cde Amanda Zono, whose story was published by City Press about issues related to nepotism, favouritism and incompetent appointments which was made through the involvement of the MEC.

Our members were in possession of evidence that points to corruption in the scholar transport programme and the fleet of the department. The department was aware of the corruption that took place when tracking devices were installed on the fleet yet nothing was done to hold those responsible to account. NEHAWU members raised sharply issues of irregular appointments especially that of the DDG responsible for administration who was employed with no qualifications at all.

The union has painfully observed the disintegration and erosion of clean governance and ethical behaviour in the department when it comes to effective human resource management practices. We have always been raising alarm about the total collapse of fair, consistent and competent processes of recruitment and employment and have been blatantly ignored by both the outgoing HOD and the incumbent MEC.

At the centre of these irregular appointments was the appointment of the Head of Administration, the DDG of Administration in the department whom the report is again confirming as being irregularly appointment in 2015. Since his appointment the scholar transport function was given to him to run and everybody reported to the DDG Administration and it’s under his stewardship that all interviews, poor and erratic shortlist processing took place. 

As NEHAWU, we have always asked hard and tough questions to the management on the Labour Management Forum about his appointment and others but was rebuked with disdain and the DDG started writing letters to NEHAWU Shop stewards demanding qualifications from them and our members appointed in lower levels within 14 days. A number of junior workers were purged in the department after raising serious doubt and questions on the appointments of senior managers and some questionable transfers as well.

The national union calls for the report by the PSC to be implemented in fully as soon as possible. We will monitor the implementation and ensure that those found to have contributed in the irregular appointment face punitive measures. 

Issued by NEHAWU