Alleged nepotism in health sector

BARBERTON – Allegations of corruption have emerged following reports of job for pals at the Barberton General Hospital.

This follows accounts that the Umjindi ANC officials, union members representing workers within the hospital and senior staff members had favoured relatives and friends for posts.

Of concern were allegations that the officials had approached the department of health head office to take over the process of shortlisting people so that they could manipulate it, while some of those who had been hired did not feature on the list.

According to a circular of the department dated April with closing date of April 26, posts for 15 cleaners and five groundsmen were advertised. All vacancies were at the local general hospital.
But surprisingly, when appointments were made, the posts had swelled to 38,
for 30 cleaners and eight groundsmen.

According to a Barberton Times source, principles of government when it came to assigning a worker, were disregarded. “You don’t appoint anyone before advertising a post.
“You then shortlist qualifying candidates, followed by interviews before appointing them. In this instance, people were assigned before the interviews.”
The source said, when the posts came out, the ANC of Umjindi approached James Khalishwayo of head office and informed him that they would take over the process of shortlisting candidates.
“Only 20 people were expected to be employed in these vacancies and the ANC wanted all the posts to be given to card-carrying members.
So when the union representatives complained, they were told to bring their own people in. That’s why the vacancies miraculously swelled to 38.”

Khalishwayo served in the department’s human-resources unit and is currently director of special projects.
Barberton Times can confirm that a wife of a prominent councillor is among the people who have been employed.

Fifteen of them are ANC card-carrying members. Friends, relatives, a husband and a wife of a union member representing the workers in the hospital, who sits on the labour committee, were employed.

These appointments supposedly left staff within the institution with low morale with some already calling for the resignation of the chief executive officer, Maatlape Mawela for failing to act in her capacity.

Mawela was appointed in April, the same month the posts were advertised. What had left many furious was the fact that they had been working at the hospital for a long time as part-time workers in the Siyatentela Project of the department of public works, but had not been employed.

“There are 11 workers in the project and only five have been appointed.
“They have been doing all the dirty work in the hope that one day they would be employed full-time. But have not been assigned. Those who have been left out are demoralised,” said the source.

He added, “It is the norm in any industry that you consider someone already serving, volunteering, temporarily or contractually in that post.
“In this case they have been working there for many years and there is no way they can make excuses.”

Cllr Elsabé Jacobs of the DA in Umjindi said it was confirmed that the human-resources list contained workers from outside Umjindi and this upset the local people.
“The community is not happy and workers at the hospital are furious. There was a woman shortlisted but never called for an interview.”
Some of those who got the jobs were not qualified. Jacobs said nepotism took place also in Tonga, Nelspruit, Santa and Rob Ferreira hospitals under the leadership of Khalishwayo. Attempts to get comment from Mawela were fruitless at the time of going to print.

Ronnie Masilela, health spokesman, said they took these allegations seriously and would launch a thorough investigation.