NW health workers feel sidelined as colleagues secure permanent jobs
Workers say being left in the dark by the department is very heartbreaking.
In the North West province of South Africa, more than 2,400 Community Healthcare Workers have been left without permanent employment despite serving their communities for over three decades. While half of their colleagues have been hired by the Health Department, the remaining workers feel sidelined and have sacrificed their health and time for the promise of a permanent role.
Community Healthcare Worker Virginia Goapane, who worked for 19 years before retirement in 2019, expressed her disappointment, stating that despite attending short courses, the department failed to employ her permanently. Provincial Health Deputy District Director Tsholofelo Adelekan acknowledged that they have absorbed half of the 4,800 volunteers as permanent workers but admitted that challenges remain.
She explained that a five-year strategic plan is in motion to address the remaining volunteers, which includes capacity building through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), ABET, and other training programs, as well as regular recruitment processes. Adelekan assured that by 2030, all remaining cadres should be given opportunities to integrate into the department.
However, Community Healthcare Worker Priscilla Oageng, who is not a matriculant, complained that only people with matric certificates were hired, despite the workers having experience and knowledge of their work. Oageng highlighted that they write reports alongside their matriculants colleagues and have completed and passed all the training.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
