Health workers union, HOSPERSA has blamed North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo for the recent health issues in the province.
Speaking to Political Analysis South Africa on Friday, 11 May 2018, Kevin Halama who is the spokesperson for the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (HOSPERSA) said the recent decision by Mahumapelo to not step down as premier of the province has directly affected health workers.
“We are very concerned because a lot of the unrest that is taking place in the province is mainly linked to the premier stepping down and this has obviously affected the department of health because the issues employers have within the department of health are now overshadowed by political unrest,” he said.
The union has called for a political solution to the “Supra conundrum.”
On Tuesday, 8 May 2018 Mahumapelo announced that he would resign as premier. He unexpectedly reneged on that announcement the following day and instead announced that he would take an indefinite leave of absence. Finance MEC, Wendy Nelson has since been appointed as Acting Premier.
“His reverse resignation has pretty much taken us back two steps to where we thought we were at the beginning of the week,” said Halama.
Another trade union, the National Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) has called for “national day of action” on Wednesday, 16 May 2018 to highlight the issues faced by health workers in the province.
Halama said that HOSPERSA wouldn’t be joining in the protest action.
“The labour unrest that is happening in the province we are totally against. We’re against vandalism. We are against a number of things that have popped up during the labour unrest, and it will be very difficult for us as a union to form hands with another union that is at the forefront of the unrest,” he said.
