Cosatu welcomes MEC’s resignation

THE crumbling state of the South African healthcare system and the ill-treatment of health workers by the Gauteng Department of Health are some of the issues Cosatu plans to bring before the cabinet this weekend.

The union federation yesterday labelled the leadership of the department of health as arrogant and insensitive.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Cosatu headquarters in Braamfontein, provincial secretary Dumisani Dakile described the department under the leadership of for mer Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu as “the worst employer,” which rules with an iron fist.

“The department has been engaging unions in bad faith on various matters including the current fiasco,” Dakile said referring to the deaths of the 94 patients moved from the Life Esidimeni Hospital in Rand- fontein last year.

Dakile said in the past their affiliates, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) and Nehawu raised concerns about the relocation of the patients, however, Mahlangu and her head of department Dr Barney Selebano refused to listen to advice given to them.

He said instead, various shop stewards have been suspended for raising grievances around occupational safety issues and the manner in which the department has handled matters as well as the adverse decisions it has taken.

“We understand from the testimony of the staff that they were told to implement the irrational and unsound decision about the process of de-institutionalising (the patients and placing them at NGOs).”

Dakile said Cosatu welcomed the health ombudsman’s report as well as Mahlangu’s resignation.