People are buying jobs at Ekurhuleni Metro.
What are the criteria for hiring council employees? This was the question Mncedisi Mabena asks.
He alleges that he has heard that people outside Ekurhuleni are paying R3 000 to get jobs.
He was concerned about the metro’s criteria in appointing new personnel.
“I started applying for the advertised posts from 2008, but to date got no response from the metro.
“At times I would send five copies of the same application hoping for an interview, but at the end nothing comes out of my application.”
Mabena says he met a man who is from the Western Cape who was recently employed by the metro.
“I asked him how he applied and to my horror he told me his father paid R 3000 to secure him a job.
“I have been looking at the metro employees when I go to town or wherever I meet them and one thing that becomes clear is that these are people who come from other provinces and districts and pay to get jobs that are open to everyone, but more importantly, the people of Ekurhuleni.”
Themba Gadebe, spokesman of Ekurhuleni has no comment on the alleged buying of jobs.
He says since the beginning of the year 1 633 of the 2 171 vacant positions in the metro were filled.
These positions are in all the departments within the metro.
He explains the criteria of the metro’s filling a vacant position: the position will be advertised in different sources of media for 10 working days.
This includes national newspapers, the Ekurhuleni Metro notice boards and on the Ekurhuleni website www. ekurhuleni.gov.za
On why the metro does not give feedback to applicants, Gadebe say Ekurhuleni does not respond to applicants in the form of a written letter, because on each job advert placed it is stipulated that should candidates not be informed of the outcome of the application within six days after the closing date, their application should be regarded as having been unsuccessful.