Covid-19 support staff members confront Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in Mamelodi demanding the renewal of their contracts. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)
Pretoria - Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko yesterday lashed out at Covid-19 support staff members who interrupted an official provincial government event in Mamelodi.
“I will not allow anarchy in the department. I was not put there to promote anarchy. I will do things by the book,” she told the workers.
The MEC was in Mamelodi where Premier Panyaza Lesufi was meant to launch the provincial Easter plans and unveil emergency response vehicles.
However, disgruntled staff members interrupted proceedings and demanded that the premier deal with their request for permanent employment. Their annual contracts ended last Friday.
Panyaza Lesufi escorted to Mamelodi Fire Station to meet with Covid-19 support staff who demand permanent employment. These protesters had a demonstrated at Kalafong Hospital, Atteridgeville, where the CEO locked herself in her office. #Jobs #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/RjjfGwT0FS
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Determined to carry on from where they left off last week, when they protested at hospitals, the disgruntled workers started shouting in the middle of Nkomo-Ralehoko’s address.
Last week they embarked on a protest inside Kalafong Hospital, Atteridgeville, where they forced chief executive Lebohang Mpshe into hiding, locking herself and her team in their offices until she was later escorted out by police.
The day before that they had demonstrated outside Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa.
Yesterday, and as dignitaries and community members watched, the group started shouting and complaining about corruption and exploitation.
The MEC managed to finish her address as security officials engaged in a scuffle with the protesters.
She said the department did not have money to absorb the workers permanently because it was dependent on a budget (R600 million) from the Treasury.
“If there is no money to make you permanent, I cannot do that. I will employ them as Expanded Public Works Programme workers that get the money from the grant. I will have given them an opportunity to apply, including these ones that are here.
“Until the national government says there is a budget to make them permanent, we cannot take them permanently,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
She said there were corrupt people who were looting funds from the government, and they were now using the workers to cause friction.
One of the protesters started crying as she shared her story with Lesufi.
Before apologising to the audience that attended the event and encouraging Mamelodi residents to protect the emergency vehicles to ensure they could assist others, Lesufi said he was not afraid to meet protesters anywhere as long as they had respect for others.
Lesufi said they had met the leaders and unions representing the workers to discuss this issue and they were dealing with it.
“But we are not going to allow people to disrespect the rights of other people. You might have your rights, but your rights do not give you the other right to disrespect other people.“
Gauteng Health and Wellness spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the department had requested R1.1 billion to retain the Covid-19 support staff, but had received a R600 million budget for the 2023/24 financial year.
He said they had communicated the budget cut to the chief executives at facilities and to organised labour.
All hospitals have submitted their needs according to their prioritisation.
However, there has been an agreement on the prioritisation of clinical posts across all hospitals and as a result all doctors and nurses currently contracted will be retained.
Pretoria News