DESPERATION: Disgruntled employees of Batlhokomedi Security hold people hostage at the Gauteng Department of Health offices in Joburg yesterday. Picture: Nokuthula Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA) DESPERATION: Disgruntled employees of Batlhokomedi Security hold people hostage at the Gauteng Department of Health offices in Joburg yesterday. Picture: Nokuthula Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)
Scenes of distress unfolded at government offices in the Johannesburg CBD as dozens of disgruntled and hungry security guards held staff hostage.
About 32 employees from Batlhokomedi Security Services blocked the exits of a building accommodating offices of the Gauteng Department of Health and Human Settlements, preventing employees from entering or leaving the building in a standoff that lasted for over an hour yesterday afternoon.
Some employees who had taken late lunch were shocked to find all the doors locked. The building’s security guards were seen gathering at the reception, seemingly dumbfounded.
“Please open for me. I just want my bag. I have nothing to do with management issues. Why must we suffer because of them (management)?” said an upset employee from the Health Department, but the guards ignored her.
The guards, wearing yellow branded overalls, had travelled from their employer’s offices in Pretoria, where they work as security guards looking after RDP houses for the Department of Human Settlements. Their company, Batlhokomedi, has a contract with the department.
Moruti Sepakwe, who spoke on behalf of the group, said their action was a last resort as their employer, AB Malatsi, had not been able to pay their salaries in full since October because he is owed money by the department for the past four years.
“We have been only getting our money in dribs and drabs and it’s not enough to sustain our families.
“We decided to come here two weeks ago but we could not get transport money, so today we clubbed in and managed to come here with our employer to negotiate.
“Unfortunately our talks with management from the department’s finance office did not go well and we resorted to locking up the building.
“It’s bullsh** that government employees will be paid and not us. Why did they hire him (Malatsi) if they did not have a budget for him?” asked Sepakwe.
Nkululeko Siphethu, who has been working for the security company for four years, said he had been waiting for his money for six months. We are tired of all of this nonsense. It needs to stop now."
He said the issue of not being paid had affected his relationship with the mother of his two children.
“She doesn’t trust me anymore. She thinks I am paid and spending the money alone. I have been explaining to her and she is not taking my story. I am scared that she might turn my kids against me and that will destroy my family,” said a worried Siphethu.
The chaos spread to the underground parking lot after employees rushed to their cars, hoping the back exit had been cleared. They were shocked to find more men in yellow blocking the gate.
The 26-storey building on Pixley Seme Street has over 1000 public servants. Police had to be called to help release the workers.
One of the angry guards, Daniel Zwane, said he and his family had a black Christmas.
“Our kids didn’t have clothes. It was painful. They blamed me for all of this.
“Our boss has been telling us stories. We did our best to get all the answers from him, but we felt like the problem is with the department.
“We decided to come here and get answers. We are not leaving here until we get our money,” said Zwane.
William Maphutha, the branch chairperson of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, blamed the government for the chaos. “It’s becoming common to see disgruntled people toyi-toying at that building but it was worse today because they manhandled employees and disrupted the working environment."
@LindileSifile
@SthembisoMedia