A KZN Department of Human Settlements senior female employee has been placed on precautionary suspension for verbally insulting a pregnant junior employee in her department.
An audio has been circulating on social media where the senior is heard lashing out at the junior for going to the Human Resources (HR) office to inquire about her maternity leave instead of coming to her. In the audio, the junior employee is heard explaining that she went to the HR office to get clarity as her due date is near.
“Your reasoning is similar to those people who stay in the shacks. You are very stupid and you think you’re clever.
“You better start looking for another job because I don’t know how I am going to work with you when you come back from maternity leave,” the boss says in the audio. The audio got the attention of top officials.
The junior said all she wanted was an explanation on the maternity leave policy.
The boss replied: “You’re stupid you can’t even read English.”
Human settlement MEC Jomo Sibiya said the department didn’t tolerate bullying and harassment in any of its offices, including the Rental Housing Tribunal.
The department has engaged organised labour to explain what form of remedial action will be taken with respect to the prescripts of the Labour Relations Act and the Public Service Code of Conduct.
“The offending employee has immediately been placed on precautionary suspension with immediate effect to allow the pending disciplinary procedure to proceed unhindered,” he said.
Sibiya also apologised to the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement and its president, Sbu Zikode, for the comment made by the senior employee.
“It is ironic that the Department has worked hard to mend fences with a critical stakeholder like Abahlali BaseMjondolo to the extent that those relations reached cordial levels a senior manager within the Department would utter such an inference. I would like to apologise to movement president Sbu Zikode for these remarks,” said Sibiya.
