The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has condemned the blockage of gates at the Pixley Ka-Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital in KwaMashu, north of Durban, with a truckload of rubble.
According to a statement issued by the department on Thursday, a small group of aggrieved people, who claim to represent the local community, stopped the truck driver and forced him to offload rubble in front of the hospital gate.
The department said the group was demanding that the department employ them at the hospital and that services that are outsourced be "given" to them.
The department noted that several meetings had been held with representatives of the group about their grievances, and the Head of Department, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, is dealing with the matter.
The department acknowledged that unemployment is rife and affects the entire country, including the people of Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, where the new hospital is situated.
“The department has, nevertheless, on several occasions, and through various media platforms, communicated the recruitment processes that were followed in filling posts at the facility, including the fact that it received more than 500 000 applications, whereas it had just under 1 500 available vacancies,” the department said.
The department said it has finalised all the necessary steps in filling all available vacancies.
“Additionally, as part of the process of employing workers at this hospital, the department ensured that the people of eThekwini received priority, particularly in the filling of labour-intensive and semi-skilled posts. The department will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure stability at the facility,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
