By Thys Khiba
“Starting with the immediate suspension of Lynette Schutte whilst investigations unfold.”
Mahikeng – The Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) and National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) in the North West province has called for the MEC for Education, Wendy Mmatsemela to speedily attend to the allegations of racism and bullying at the Department of Education Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District office in Potchefstroom ‘before lives are lost.’
This comes after it was reported that the Regional Chairperson of NEHAWU, Mangaliso Faku was assault at the DoE District offices in Potchefstroom.
“The immediate arrest of her son and other criminals that were engaged in the assault of employees at the DoE. Moreover we call upon the law enforcement agencies, to act harshly on perpetrators, and to further unmask other cases against Lynette Schutte that have been historically left unattended,” said YCLSA Provincial Secretary Tsietsi Letsebe.
The YCLSA accused the family of and the Deputy Director of Finance, Lynette Schutte of racially, violating and bullying the Regional Chairperson of the NEHAWU, Mangaliso Faku and other unmentioned workers.
“We want to send her a message that this is a democratic South Africa, not Apartheid South Africa where boere people would turn public offices into their personal pillars of white supremacists institutions and do as they please to abuse other races,” said Letsebe.
The YCLSA claims that anyone who raises allegations of corruption and maladministration in the District office of the DoE in Potchefstroom gets attacked.
“The institutionalized racism has reached a boiling point and manifests itself through the victimization of Union leaders and employees,” said Letsebe.
The YCLSA urged the NEHAWU in Tlokwe region and Provincial office to ensure that they attend to what they call humiliation and violation of the rights of their Regional Chairperson, Faku and other wokers.
“This intimidation tactics by Apartheid offsprings must never deter nor derail the union from executing its mandate, thus we are more ready as the YCL to fight side by side with the union to take the bull by the horns,” said Letsebe.
The provincial office NEHAWU in the province reacted by saying that the attack proves that indeed transformation is still lacking at the District office of the DoE in Potchefstroom.
“It cannot be correct that 27 years into democracy, racists continue to trample over constitutional rights of Africans and Law enforcement institutions act soft against perpetrators,” said NEHAWU Provincial Secretary, Patrick Makhafane.
Makhefane confirmed that the NEHAWU in the province will be monitoring how this matter is handled by both the management of the department and Law enforcement. The NEHAWU also said that the incident has been reported and a case of assault has been opened with the police.
According to Makhafane, the inspiration behind the attack is to defocus the union from talking about issues related to maladministration and corruption.
“We call on the Department of Education to equally play its role and investigate all the reported allegations of corruption and maladministration that we have reported,” said Makhafane.
Free State Central News spoke to the departmental spokesperson, Elias Malindi who has also confirmed that they have advised their employee to open a case with the police officials.
“As a department we wish to condemn any act of assault that could happen in our premises. We have advised our employee to open a case with the police, whilst we are investigating the matter as department through the Labour section,” said Malindi.
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