Premier demands hospital staff be given a written warning without a hearing in front of COSATU leader

Staff reporter

Welkom – The newly elected and trigger-happy Free State Premier, Joyce Mathae has continued where she left off last week.

Mathae ordered the return of Advocate KS Mokgobo, SCM deputy director back to Education on Friday, 21 June 2024, and reordered her to go back to Health on Monday, 24 June 2024, simply because we published a story about her meeting and details thereof.

Advocate Mokgobo returned despite Mathae being told her transfer was declined by Free Stare Provincial Treasury and a secondment was orchestrated by MECs.

It was not the first time Mathae goes against what labor law prescribe, while at Community Safety, Roads and Transport the department reemployed Monnapule Ntamo despite a Labour court ruling and she lied in the legislature that it was a decision taken by former HoD, Sipho Mtakati, and former MEC William Bulwane.

Bulwane has never worked with Mtakati and when Sam Mashinini was replaced, Mtakati was already on suspension over allegedly failure to maintain roads.

Last year Mathae posed for a photo next to giant pothole and in an operation the department championed road safety campaign, but the road was definitely not roadworthy.

Mathae who succeeded Mxolisi Dukwana has proved once again that shooting from the hip is what Free State Province should expect as long as she is the Premier, no decorum, nothing.

On Friday, 28 June 2024, Mathae visited the troubled Bongani Regional Hospital in Welkom and went on a rampage berating an employee of the hospital.

The irony, next to the Premier was Viceroy Mahlatsi, the new MEC of Health and Provincial Secretary of COSATU, who looked stunned.

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Bongani Regional Hospital is always in sticky employee issues, last year Dr Noge, the hospital’s CEO found herself in hot water following her decision to charge a union leader over sexual misconduct.

Other than Dr. Noge, Phillip Radebe and Boitumelo Molengoane were transferred from Phekolong District Hospital and Medical Depot respectively under cloudy motives.

Papi Marohanye, Sipho Towa, and Bebula all had their fair share of marginalization in the department.

It remains to be seen if the new MEC and Premier will at least investigate and reverse all these, if found to be irregular or just because we write about them they won’t and cut her nose to spite her face.

Auditor General of South Africa has already confirmed to us in writing to be investigating the secondment of Mokgobo and it’s very likely it will be declared irregular and it will be the Premier with an ostrich egg on her face.

Just like Ntombela and Dukwana, Mathae will be under scrutiny and this is not about her but the position she occupies.

A labor law expert who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Premier missed a step.

“Premier Mathae should know better, you don’t just give an employee a warning, worse, demanding you get a copy before you when an employee has not even be subjected to a lot process.

If that happens, that will be unlawful and I do hope she left without any letter.”

With regards to the compromised MEC and COSATU provincial secretary she said.

“Any union leader from steward to president, their main mandate is to defend employees at any cost, it’s job is to protect employees even in worst cases and this does not only put Ntate Mahlatsi in a spot, but it flips the coin, should union leaders be in political offices?”

David Masoue, Democratic Alliances new Health spokesperson in Free State commended Mathae.

“We commend the unannounced visits and spot checks in Health institutions especially hospitals like Bongani and clinics.

As the DA spokesperson on Health I have been inundated already with calls and letters of complaints regarding poor and uncaring behavior by some Health workers in the Free State. I will be asking Questions in the Free State Legislature and issuing statements regarding some of these issues.”

With the EXCO monitoring all departments, it will be interesting to see what happens at Police, Roads and Transport where employees remain suspended and roads potholed though slowly maintained.

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