Lungile Mtshali brigade feels deceived

Lungile Mtshali workers protested outside the Germiston council chambers on Thursday, June 25

June 29, 2015

Janine Samuels 1 minute read

PROTEST: Lungile Mtshali workers are dissatisfied with the treatment they received as contract workers.

ALBERTON – An ordinary council meeting, on Thursday, June 25, continued as usual while a group of municipal workers stood in front of the Germiston Council Chambers to protest a perceived lack of delivery on promises made by the city.

The RECORD spoke to Colin Mavimbela, a representative of the Lungile Mtshali brigade, who said they were promised training and the opportunity to apply for permanent positions once their contracts ended.

The Lungile Mtshali Poverty Alleviation Programme was introduced on February 11, 2014.

A sum of R1-million was allocated to each ward in the city; for the community to spend on developmental projects of their choice.

The projects were publicised to be centred on energy efficiency, water and sanitation, wetlands rehabilitation and waste management, as well as greening and landscaping.

The workers were reportedly told to embark on door-to-door visits, find gaps in service delivery and report them to the local Customer Care Centre.

After one month they were told to assist with picking up litter, breaking up illegal dumps and cleaning cemeteries. This was, according to Colin, not the work described in their employment contracts.

At the launch of the project, executive mayor Mondli Gungubele stated: “This project allows our people to get directly involved in the upkeep of their areas and learn critical skills that will take them off the streets in future.”

The training that was reportedly offered was a two-day training course that culminated in trainees receiving a certificate that left them dissatisfied. Colin stated that no other organisation would recognise the certificate and thus it is useless to workers seeking employment.

Inside the council meeting, DA councillor Nkosinathi Madonsela addressed the protest, citing it as an example of how service delivery has been politicised and stating: “The Lungile Mtshali brigade was being prepared to sweep streets and dig trenches.”