Matongoni says 61 tourism graduates removed lacked qualifications while host claims Matongoni vetted and approved all 200 participants first.
Picture: Facebook/Youth Employment Service
Matongoni Group, the company embroiled in a dispute over the dismissal of 61 participants from a Youth Employment Service (YES) programme, has denied allegations of wrongdoing and instead blamed the host employer for placing ineligible candidates into the tourism graduate placements programme.
The Citizen has reported that Matongoni, the programme’s implementation agent, was accused of unfair dismissals, unpaid stipends, payroll irregularities and possible misuse of public funds.
Agent says 61 tourism graduates removed lacked qualifications
This apparently left 61 of the 200 participants in the tourism-sector youth employment initiative in limbo – the initiative funded through a partnership between YES and the tourism department.
Tshifhiwa Magodi, founder of Matongoni, said participants who were removed never met the minimum eligibility requirements. Participation was restricted to graduates holding post-matric tourism qualifications.
He said the host employer declined to appoint qualifying tourism graduates sourced via the department of tourism and, instead, submitted candidates who did not have the required qualifications.
“These individuals were onboarded onto the programme. However, upon subsequent verification, Matongoni established that approximately 61 candidates did not satisfy the eligibility requirements,” Magodi said.
He said despite the participants not qualifying, they nevertheless paid them one month’s stipend after learning they had already started work.
Matongoni paid stipends despite ineligibility claims
Magodi added that they followed a retrenchment consultation process before terminating their participation and paid outstanding leave and notice pay.
He said payments were made in good faith to protect the integrity of the programme and avoid prejudicing funding stakeholders.
Magodi said the participants “ought not to have been placed on payroll” and the Matongoni Group suffered a financial loss in resolving the matter.
He disputed claims Matongoni unlawfully dismissed properly enrolled beneficiaries, arguing the participants were introduced outside the programme’s agreed parameters.
He said the group has since instituted legal proceedings against the host employer, issuing summons on Monday.
HCDI insists all dismissed participants held qualifications required
However, the Hartbeespoort Community Development Initiative (HCDI), which represents the host employers, rejected claims non-qualifying participants were enrolled.
Mmeli Mdluli, HCDI representative, said Matongoni vetted and found all the 200 participants eligible before enrolling them.
“All of the 61 participants have post-matric tourism related qualifications as per the requirements. They must explain how were they then first found to be eligible and then suddenly they were not,” he charged.
