Nurses not to blame for death

The front page story, “Nurses’ strike kills baby”, in yesterday’s Sowetan is sad and I wish the Mothibedi family strength in this dark hour.

But to blame the nurses is wrong. What is also sickening is the comment by North West MEC for health Magome Masike.

Nurses, like all workers, offer a service that they have to be remunerated for. Failure to pay them bonuses has led them to withdraw the service that could have saved the child’s life. Do not tell me about the essential services nonsense because their children do not eat essential services.

The MEC must take full responsibility for the death after allowing the strike to continue for three months. I also hope that the North West government will act before more lives are lost.

It is critical for communities to understand that government employees offer a service on behalf of the government that they voted for.

If the government does not take those who offer a service on its behalf seriously, those who put the government in power – the communities – shall suffer.

A perfect example of the disregard government has for those who offer services on its behalf, is the current wage negotiations in the public sector.

Workers are supposed to get a salary increase this month but the actual negotiations have “not yet commenced as parties are still in facilitation”.

This is despite the government knowing that the previous agreement on wages came to an end last year.

If, in the near future, workers withdraw their services, people like Masike will come and tell workers that to strike means their egos are bigger than people’s lives. It cannot be fair for communities to expect workers to offer services on an empty stomach.

Luzuko Pongoma, Naturena