Nehawu lunch hour pickets continue

Following a week of lunch hour pickets by a group of dissatisfied National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members employed in the Office of the Premier and other government departments, the union’s Provincial Secretary, Jacob Adams indicated that members will continue with the exercise until they receive positive feedback on their demands from Premier Stan Mathabatha.
Nehawu demands full implementation of the arbitration award on travelling rates across all Limpopo administration, stop all irregular reshuffling and transfers of officials in management positions in various departments and that Limpopo’s Director-General, Nape Nchabeleng, who stands blamed for alleged irregular expenditure of R3,95 million in the 2015/16 financial year, be relieved from his position.
Adams emphasised that the union leadership in Limpopo met with Mathabatha last Wednesday to table their grievances. “The Premier confirmed that he recognised all the issues put before him and recommended that we document them. We submitted the document to his office on Tuesday and are awaiting response. During our meeting he indicated that all the issues would be resolved but was not certain about the issue of irregular expenditure,” Adams explained.
He further highlighted that Mathabatha informed them that Nchabeleng was appointed by the Presidency, not him hence he will make recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa as soon as he receive the demands on paper. Adams concluded by stating that the lunch hour pickets would continue until they get positive feedback from Mathabatha.
During the post Executive Council media briefing at his office last Thursday, Mathabatha indicated that, following the recommendations of the Auditor-General that the irregular expenditure must be investigated and that all the monies lost must be recouped, the Provincial Government has since investigated and all officials found responsible have accordingly been sanctioned after a lengthy disciplinary processes.
He reiterated that the legal processes are unfolding to recoup all the monies lost by provincial government as a result of this irregular expenditure. “In terms of the law, we are not permitted to recover any such monies without a declaratory order from the court of law. It is therefore anticipated that the irregular expenditure in question will be fully corrected once the court process is concluded,” Mathabatha explained.

Story and photos: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za