Kalafong Hospital boss on special leave after rampage

DISGRUNTLED staff at Kalafong Academic Hospital in Atteridgeville yesterday celebrated the news that their CEO, Dr Sello Matjila, has been placed on special leave.

The staff, including nurses and general workers, have been protesting at the hospital since Wednesday against the “disrespectful” conduct of Matjila, whom they accused of maladministration and corruption.

Workers went on the rampage on Wednesday, emptying dustbins, spilling and scattering rubbish on the stairs, including inside the CEO’s office.

Some staff members told the Pretoria News that the protest was due to a dispute over payments related to annual performance bonuses.

They accused Matjila of unfairly excluding a large number of workers from getting performance bonuses, saying the criteria used for selecting those qualifying for bonuses was never transparent and had not been explained to them.

The majority of the workers had already received letters stating that they didn’t qualify for bonuses.

Workers were also aggrieved that Matjila suspended three shop stewards for taking part in the recent public servants’ shutdown to reject the government’s 3% wage increase in Pretoria. They called for the suspended trio to be reinstated with immediate effect.

During their gathering outside the hospital yesterday, a representative from the Public Servants Association broke the news that the Gauteng Health Department had decided to put Matjila on special leave.

The announcement was greeted with loud ululations from workers, who also chanted and danced outside the hospital premises.

Hospital spokesperson Given Makhuvele did not respond to questions posed by the Pretoria News at the time of going for publication, despite having promised to do so.