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HomeWeekly RoundupSoweto hospital hit by sex-for-jobs allegations

Soweto hospital hit by sex-for-jobs allegations

Some women employees claim they have been forced to sleep with a senior manager in a sex-for-jobs scandal that has rocked Soweto’s Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital. The Star reports that the probe into the scandal has also revealed that most of the alleged victims had paid corrupt officials varying amounts to get employment at the medical facility.

At least five female employees currently working at the hospital in Jabavu have allegedly slept with the human resources officer at the centre of the scandal to secure their jobs, while others were allegedly fired for rejecting his advances, the report says. The alleged sex predator’s modus operandi was to target female colleagues facing disciplinary action for having paid to acquire their jobs. He would then take advantage of their anxiety at the possibility of losing their jobs by allegedly demanding sex from them in order to avoid going through the disciplinary process.

Early this year, the department launched an investigation into the alleged selling of jobs at this hospital in which five employees were implicated. However, the report says, it is still unknown how the investigation was concluded.

Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital was opened in 2014 and, the report says, one former manager admitted being involved in the job-rush to get her relatives and friends on to the hospital’s payroll while hundreds of legitimate applications were pushed to the side.
“We saw people in management, doctors and HR officers doing it, so we also joined in. More than 100 people from cleaners to clerks bought their jobs and some have since been dismissed after they refused to sleep with him,” said the former employee.

Human resources manager Getrude Ntsoane and supervisor Khaya Mpikashe were said to have been accused in the cash-for-jobs probe. The manager allegedly used his position to target employees and, in some cases, trump up charges against vulnerable women staffers.

The report says although Mpikashe denied accepting cash for a job, she admitted being investigated for nepotism and then disciplined for misconduct. Ntsoane failed to reply to questions sent to her.

The report says National Health Department spokesperson Prince Hamnca confirmed that the hospital had handled 192 cases of misconduct since it opened, including sex for jobs and jobs for cash allegations. “The employees were charged with various misdemeanours, however, due to the employee/employer relationship we cannot divulge more information. Those charged include managers, supervisors, doctors, nurses, administrative clerks, porters, cleaners, laundry and food service assistants,” said Hamnca.

He added that Godfrey Sipho Sibiya, a lawyer representing five implicated employees, was arrested in April for offering a R50,000 bribe to the officer investigating the case. The Hawks released the statement, confirming Sibiya’s arrest.

The report says it has seen a letter written by the hospital’s employees to Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and the Public Service Commission in March demanding that the implicated sex predator manager and Ntsoane be investigated for mismanagement, sexual harassment, intimidation and unfair dismissals.

An employee at the hospital admitted to having had sexual relations with the manager from last year after he allegedly threatened to fire her “for buying her job”. She said he would ask her to come to work early or leave late so that he could force himself on her.

The alleged sex-for-jobs manager did not want to comment on the allegations, the report said. “Go to the (Health) department and you will get a proper story that will shock you. I’m just an employee,” he said.

[link url="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/sex-for-jobs-scandal-rocks-soweto-hospital-11315731"]The Star[/link]

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