Security staff members at various West Rand Health District (WRHD) clinics are demanding answers as to why their contracts weren’t extended, while their colleagues’ contracts were.
In an exclusive with the Herald, the desperate security personnel, many of whom have had to look for odd jobs to feed their families, said after working at clinic facilities for three months no cent was paid to them.
The staff members said R9 000 were still due to them and according to the contract they’ve signed, their employment ends on March 31, 2022.
One of the disgruntled security staff members, Bronwyn Gone who was stationed at the PJ Maree Clinic in Toekomsrus explained that 35 security guards signed a four-month contract with WRHD on December 1 last year to work at various facilities in the region.
“When we started we were told that the pay run for the month of December had already been processed, therefore, we’d only be paid at the end of January; they said they would pay us R9 000,” Gone said.
However, Gone said towards the end of January rumours started circulating that they were occupying the facilities illegally, and that their contracts were invalid.
“Suddenly our coordinators and management started saying we were not supposed to sign a contract, but they didn’t say it formally,” Gone said.
She added that no letter of dismissal was sent to them, but on January 31 some security personnel received SMSes to vacate their posts as they were deemed to be there illegally. This was when they stopped reporting for duty.
The employees said their investigations revealed that their supervisors had known about it, but kept it to themselves while they kept working long hours – even during the festive season when facilities were at risk.
“When the time came for us to get paid they said our contacts were invalid, which was just an excuse to get away with not paying us,” said another security guard, Keleapere Kwadi, who worked at Mohlakeng Clinic.
Joel Legode, also stationed at Mohlakeng Clinic, said after having to work for so many hours, no one would give them a straight answer.
“We’re talking about the lives of wives and husbands who are breadwinners; they don’t care while we suffer,” Legode added.
Winnie Masimula, Senior Administrative Officer at the WRHD said the issue arose when the coordinators recruited new people, instead of extending the existing contracts that had ended on November 30, 2021.
In a letter from Masimula dated January 31 this year, of which the Herald has a copy, she said, “This letter serves to confirm that the West Rand Health District did not request for the replacement of the Security Patrollers. The contract that the securities signed was an extension of the contract that came to an end on the November 30.”
The Herald has attempted to get hold of coordinator of the security personnel, and is awaiting a response.
