Recruitment drive unfair to coloureds

THE Western Cape Department of Labour went on an extensive recruitment drive last year. About 140 vacant positions at its labour centres and provincial offices were advertised. During December, most of these posts were filled.

At the Mitchell’s Plain offices there were seven vacancies. All these posts were filled by black Africans. I find this racist and unfair. I find it unimaginable that out of the thousands of applications received by the department, they could not find a single coloured person to appoint at its Mitchells Plain office – an office which services a predominantly coloured community.

I have formally raised my concerns in writing about these recruitment appointment processes with the Acting Chief Director Provincial Operations, Mawele Ntamo, and the Provincial Human Resources Manager, Ngubo Lubelwana.

I am disappointed that the department deemed it fit to hide behind the PAIA (Promotion of Access to Information Act) of 2000 not to provide me with important answers.

I have received credible information from staff members at other offices of the department in the Western Cape that similar unfair recruitment and appointment processes have been applied in the appointment of staff .

We shall now launch a formal application under the PAIA of 2000 to access the relevant information, however, we are concerned about the potential for valuable information being disposed of while this application is being processed.

It is unimaginable how this department could end up with these dodgy appointments after the landmark court ruling involving the correctional services officers who took the Department of Correctional Services to court when it used national demographics rather than provincial demographics in its appointment and promotions processes.

This is all about equality and fairness. For too long coloured people have been ignored, overlooked and abused by those in power. This department should be at the forefront of protecting people’s basic rights, yet it appears to be in the forefront of trampling on our rights.

I urge the community to speak out. Coloured people have the right to equal opportunities. Our people should demand answers and protest peacefully against such discriminatory appointments.

I urge the department to review these appointments, set them aside and re-open the process to afford all our people an equal opportunity to fill these posts.

We intend writing a letter to the Minister of Labour via the new ANC president and current Deputy President of the republic, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is head of government business, in an effort to get them to intervene.

The coloured community has the right to be treated equally and fairly as enshrined in our constitution. We shall not allow ourselves to be bullied by officials who use the colour of our skins to discriminate.