Trainee traffic officers in Mpumnalanga left confused
“There were allegations of nepotism and corruption as friends, girlfriends and children of Mpumalanga politicians were included in the programme without interviews or following proper procedures.“
The DA has strongly condemned the appointment processes of trainee traffic officers in Mpumalanga.
Their spokesman on Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Ms Trudie Grové-Morgan, said the process was procedurally and administratively flawed.
According to a recent press statement, 125 trainee traffic officers were left stranded, confused and hungry with shattered dreams.
Ms Grové-Morgan said the department approved and enrolled 125 trainee traffic officers early January at the Mpumalanga Traffic Training College.
“They were given and signed a 12-month-training-contract which goes along with a stipend,” the statement read.
“It later emerged that the recruitment processes were flawed.
“There were allegations of nepotism and corruption as friends, girlfriends and children of Mpumalanga politicians were included in the programme without interviews or following proper procedures.”
According to her, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, Mpumalanga Premier, released a statement on 14 January, withdrawing the 125 candidates from the learnership programme after an outcry from the public and the DA.
“They instructed the candidates to vacate the college.
“In the statement, Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane admitted that the processes were flawed.
“She said she directed the department to immediately nullify the programme and recommence with a proper and effective process.”
Learning was halted for few weeks at the college because the 125 candidates were refusing to vacate the college as instructed by the department.
They also claimed that the provincial government has instructed the college not to give them food anymore.
The students also claimed that no official letter was given to them to vacate the college, but they were told through word of mouth.
According to the DA, there are also reports that some of the affected students are seeing psychologists for stress caused by these recent developments.
Some of these students are coming from families with no breadwinners.
The DA would like to call on the Mpumalanga Provincial Government to re-initiate the entire process again, and that those 125 students must reapply and be subjected to a fair selective process along with those who applied previously, but were unsuccessful.
While responding to the DA’s questions about the withdrawal of the 125 students, Premier Mtshweni-Tsipane said the province will appoint an independent recruitment specialist.
The Premier also said that as from now, where wrongful conduct and nepotism are established, such processes will be nullified and action taken against perpetrators.
