POLOKWANE – Members of Nehawu in Polokwane downed tools this morning, demanding their performance bonuses.

Hundreds of protesting Nehawu members have torn patients’ files at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital earlier this morning before police officials dispersed them.

They then gathered at the headquarters of the provincial Department of Health where they sang and toy-toyed.

This happened despite a scheduled meeting between Nehawu and the Department of Health scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) to discus issues leading to the protest.

Nehawu provincial management earlier this  morning, during a press conference told journalists that the deteriorating health care system in the province is the result of lack of leadership and alleged that “almost all healthcare facilities are at a point of collapse”.

Nehawu Secretary Jacob Adams said workers are being pushed to a point of pure desperation and cited as one of the reasons performance bonuses which had not been paid for 2016/17, and only R90 million are to be paid out, despite the department having budgeted R164 million for bonuses.

Departmental Spokesperson de Niel Shikwambana described the protesting workers’ conduct as “criminal.”

Read more in this week’s Polokwane Review.

nelie@nmgroup.co.za