CGE, SAPS investigate after female staff ‘strip-searched’ over menstrual blood

Two people have appeared in court on charges of sexual assault.

EFF members picket outside Topbet SA’s branch in the Germiston CBD on Wednesday, calling for sexual harassment in the workplace to stop.

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) is investigating alleged sexual harassment and human rights violations at Topbet SA’s Germiston branch.

This comes after three Johannesburg women alleged that they and other female colleagues were strip-searched and violated at work on the instruction of the company’s management.

“Three clerks at the gambling franchise Topbet’s Germiston branch have described how more than 20 women were forced to undress and were then physically inspected on the premises in January,” said Capt André de Jager, spokesperson for the SAPS Ekurhuleni West Cluster.

“The incident was apparently sparked by the discovery of a small amount of menstrual blood in a staff toilet.

“A case was opened with the Germiston Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit and two suspects, a man and a woman, were arrested.”

They appeared in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on charges of sexual assault and the case was postponed until March 29.

The two suspects were granted bail.

Topbet SA’s Germiston branch is in the spotlight after the alleged sexual assault of a number of women employees. The company has responded to the allegations.

The GCN contacted Topbet SA for comment and the company responded as follows:

“We issue this statement in response to the degrading and inhumane way in which staff members at our Germiston branch were treated.

At the outset, we record that as a women-run and owned business, we consider women’s rights and our employee’s constitutional rights to privacy, dignity, freedom and security and bodily and psychological integrity of paramount importance.

“One of our core values is to create a safe and happy working environment for all of our staff, most of whom are women.

“We were devastated to learn of the incident that occurred at our Germiston branch and wish to address some of the allegations:

• It came to our attention last month that a ‘search’ had been conducted on our female staff at our Germiston branch (‘the incident’).

• Investigations revealed that this inhumane and degrading incident was conducted by our female on-site cleaners acting on the instruction of one of our female branch managers, without the knowledge or authorisation of Topbet management.

• The investigation revealed that the ‘search’ was not conducted on pregnant and older employees.

• All employees interviewed confirmed that they were not physically touched during the incident although, rightfully, most felt very uncomfortable during this humiliating process.

• The incident was only brought to our attention two days later by a senior employee, upon which we immediately contacted our labour lawyers to conduct an urgent investigation into the matter.

• Investigations were conducted with all staff concerned on a one-on-one basis to allow our staff the freedom to address their concerns without fear of repercussion or intimidation from other staff members.

• Following the investigation, a decision was taken to immediately suspend the branch manager responsible. Before this could be done, the manager was arrested after the same senior employee who reported the incident opened a case with the SAPS.

• Ten days after this, we discovered that a second charge had been laid by the same senior employee against one of the cleaning staff involved in the incident.

• The branch manager responsible for initiating the search has subsequently been dismissed with immediate effect.”