Following the story, New Jerusalem Children’s Home explains contracts, Anna Mojapelo-Difo, the managing director of New Jerusalem Children’s Home writes:
New Jerusalem Children’s Home (NJCH) is a child and youth care centre that has been championing the rights of children and youth for the past 18 years.
NJCH is a pillar of strength for the South African Police Services, the Midrand community and statutory partners for the protection and nurturing of children in need of care. It is a place of comfort and healing for traumatised and abandoned children. Our core purpose… is to serve the needs of the individual child/youth. We see each child as a diamond – a diamond covered with coal is still a diamond. Our role is to polish the diamond and provide a prepared environment for optimum healing, physically, emotionally and intellectually. We provide therapeutic interventions to restore self-worth and dignity of the child.
A political party forcing their way onto NJCH’s private property with cars full of EFF members, without any appointment – chanting with some of the ex-employees who had left New Jerusalem three years ago, and other employees whose contracts ended lawfully – in order to defend the cause of a senior suspended employee, is politically incorrect and not lawful.
The chanting EFF members were ushered into a conference room by NJCH’s public relations manager to minimise the psychological impact on the children.
It is wrong for a political party to usurp the duties and powers in a CCMA’s (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) process. Where former employees who are aggrieved and/or suspended lodge a complaint with… [a] political party, it is the duty of the party to direct the employees to the CCMA as a body recognised by law to settle disputes in terms of the Labour Relations Act of 1995. It is also not the role of a political party to interfere in the internal processes of an organisation. The matter of the suspended employee is still being finalised in accordance with the Labour Relations Act of 1995.
It is also not true to say we hire only foreigners and no longer locals.
We are committed to continue to go the extra mile in support of the children and youth in our care – as we have done since 2000.
More than 1 000 children have passed through NJCH.
We refuse to be drawn onto a political platform and be distracted from our core purpose, which is to serve the individual needs of the children and youth in our care.
Earlier
The Economic Freedom Fighters paid a visit to New Jerusalem Children’s Home in President Park, Midrand on 8 March regarding allegations made against the home.
EFF chief whip Sepetlele Raseruthe said one of the founders of the home and ex-employees contacted the party because they feel the children’s home has not treated them well.
New Jerusalem’s public relations and communications manager, Raymond Madibogo has confirmed the visit from the EFF.
Madibogo said a senior employee who was in charge of the social welfare department of the home has been suspended.
In relation to the allegedly axed employees, Madibogo said no employees were axed because all the employees who claimed to be axed had reached the end of the contract.
About seven contracts reached their end on 28 February and therefore that is why they allegedly left.
“All employees were notified of the staff reduction as of November because last year we had two residential sections for boys while we were building the main joint section for boys,” said Madibogo.
“Because there is only one residential area for about 40 boys this year, we did not need as many staff members as we had before, therefore we allowed the contracts to run till they expired.”
Raseruthe made concerning allegations, that the home was allegedly hiring only foreigners now and no longer South Africans. Madibogo denied these allegations by stating that no employee has been employed ever since the contracts came to an end, and he further denied claims of employing only foreigners and not locals.
The suspended senior employee is allegedly the co-founder as well as the older sister to the remaining CEO of the home.
Madibogo said the suspension is not yet definite because the board has gone back to review the suspension with the aim to mend the family relations involved in the matter because both sisters have played a huge role in the development of the home and would like to continue the vision the two women had from the beginning.
The organisation held a hearing from 14 to 16 March and a decision is yet to be reached because the matter is a sensitive issue.
All discussions with the ex-employees have been fruitful because they now understand the terms of their contract and how it came to an end.
What is your take on the involvement of a political party in this matter? Tweet @MidrandReporter
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