Speedy justice for Ohlhoff

THE Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) wants Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor to intervene in the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) labour debacle, which resulted in academic Snyman Ohlhoff taking his own life, as a matter of urgency.

On Thursday CPUT management refused to meet with the leadership of National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), an affiliate of Fedusa in the tertiary education sector who wanted to understand what had led Ohlhoff to see no other solution to his dispute with the institution, but to end his own life.

Ohlhoff worked as head of Department of Tourism and Events at CPUT, was an active member of NTEU and leaves behind his wife, Maretha and their two boys, Krause and Stef.

CPUT continued to keep Ohlhoff under suspension for the past eight months blatantly disregarding the fact that the matter was referred to the CCMA for arbitration.

He wanted to find a resolution and on October 3 he settled the dispute with his employer hoping for a speedier resolution.

Fedusa wants to see speed for the Ohlhoff family and believes that failure of institutional governance should never be allowed to lead the loss of a life – of a father, husband, union member and a colleague of the union federation’s membership.

Fedusa believes that the manner in which Ohlhoff was treated by CPUT had a direct affect on where his family find themselves today and whose management has apparently, we believe, forgotten the human element of employer relations. FRANK NXUMALO

Fedusa Research and Media Officer