Contractors hit back at Labour Minister

LEADING Grahamstown contractors C M Heunis and Roy Bowles, whose R80-million construction of student residences at Rhodes university was criticised by the Deputy Minister of labour chief Phathekile Holomisa for allegedly subjecting employees to “life threatening” conditions, have hit back at the Labour Department.

In a letter addressed to Holomisa and the department’s directorThobile Lamati, CMHRB Joint Venture accused the department of making damaging comments in the Daily Dispatch on Monday with the use of the word “life threatening”.

The contractors have agreed to comply with the prohibition notice served to them by the Deputy Minister on October 6.

Holomisa and Lamati visited the construction site of the three residences at Rhodes only known as New Hall 7, 8 and 9 on Friday afternoon and found CMHRB to have flouted a number of safety regulations.

The department issued the contractor with the prohibition notice for having unprotected holes and trenches, a lack of protective clothing for workers and unsafe scaffolding.

Representing CMHRB, Grahamstown attorney Brenda Campbell said using the word “life threatening” in the labour statement published in the Dispatch on Monday were designed to create a negative impression of the organisation.

Campbell also dismissed the department’s claim that the department had shut down the site.

“Our client was issued with a notice to remedy the issues, but building activities were not stopped,” she said.

Campbell said the contractors conducted a detailed assessment of the site to determine a corrective action plan in respect of the issues identified in the prohibition notice.

Campbell said: “Please note that our client has arranged for an external auditor to visit the site on Wednesday 11 October, for the purpose of conducting a full compliance audit and a corrective audit plan has been developed and implemented to rectify all the identified issues as pointed out by the department.”

She also denied allegations by Holomisa that CMHRB snubbed a breakfast meeting called by the department to strategise about job creation and economic growth.

In an interview with the Dispatch, Holomisa alleged the contractor accused the department of blocking foreign investment into the country with stringent policies. Campbell said this was not true. “CMHRB Joint Venture was unaware of the business breakfast meeting held. Our client has never expressed the opinion that such a meeting would be fruitless, nor criticised the department’s policies.”—