Members of the Ekurhuleni Peace Corps picketed outside the Germiston Civic Centre, on Wednesday, in an effort to get their grievances with the municipality heard.
They were there to voice their frustrations regarding two of the many issues they are facing.
The two most important issues high on their list are the fact that they have still not been employed on a permanent basis and the issue of the fingerprints which were taken for members of the Southern region being “lost” and now they have to start the whole process over again.
Jabu Mabuza, a member of the Peace Corps, told the GCN that they are worried that criminals will use the fingerprints to open accounts and make debt in their name.
“We have redone the fingerprints but are worried that they get lost again,” he said.
Mabuza said that they are extremely unhappy about the fact that although they were promised that they would be given permanent jobs this has not happened and they have seen new posts advertised for EMPD members when they had been promised traffic warden posts.
“We are not waiting for someone to come and respond to us this time,” he said
“We are picketing non-stop until we are told that tomorrow we are employed permanently.”
Lungisile Mtatyana, another member, told the GCN that they risk their lives doing the job as they are the eyes and ears of Ekurhuleni and they need answers.
“We are working five days a week and then we are asked to volunteer on weekends, as well for very little money,” she said.
“One of our members was recently shot and killed in Thokoza wearing this uniform and another was beaten in a separate incident and still we are not employed permanently.”
Another frustrated member, Thabang Mashego, said that many of the approximately 800-strong Peace Corps do not have uniforms and that although they all did a certificate course through the EMPD Academy (many of them as long as three years ago) they still have not received their certificates which leads to problems when they are seeking jobs in this type of field.
“We need answers,” Mashego said.
The GCN has asked the metro for comment on the matter and is awaiting a response.
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