A DA PR councillor at ZF Mgcawu District Municipality and general assistant employed at Dr Harry Surtie Hospital in Upington was placed on precautionary suspension for allegedly stealing Sta-soft and Sunlight dishwashing liquid from the Tuberculosis unit.
A DA PR councillor at ZF Mgcawu District Municipality and general assistant employed at Dr Harry Surtie Hospital in Upington was placed on precautionary suspension for allegedly stealing two five-litre bottles of Sta-soft and a five-litre bottle of Sunlight dishwashing liquid from the Tuberculosis unit.
According to the charges, the employee allegedly brought the Department of Health into disrepute and tried to defraud the department by removing the cleaning materials that belonged to the state without the permission of his supervisor on June 23.
The acting head of the Northern Cape Department of Health, Dr Alastair Kantani, warned that the charges of misconduct were serious and that the employee would be subjected to disciplinary action.
The employee was placed on precautionary suspension on September 19, pending an investigation, and was instructed not to enter the premises of the department without permission.
The general assistant was also instructed to hand in all state property including a departmental cellphone, laptop, SIM card and office keys.
A security guard who was on duty during the night shift at the time of the alleged incident, indicated in a statement that he saw the employee carrying the cleaning materials to his vehicle, whereupon he searched the back seat and found the fabric softener and dishwashing liquid.
The DA chief whip in the Northern Cape provincial legislature, Dr Isak Fritz, believed that the allegations of misconduct against public representatives should always be “seen in a serious light”.
“As the Democratic Alliance, we believe in the rule of law. We have raised the matter with the councillor, who indicated that he is innocent of the allegations levelled against him. Since we also believe in due process, it would be premature to pre-empt the outcomes of an internal labour matter. The outcome of internal labour processes will determine our next steps,” said Fritz.
The employee, Deeyone de Koker, stated that he was unable to confirm the case number that was apparently opened against him by a security guard on June 23.
“I have never been arrested and have never appeared in court. I was unceremoniously refused access to my workplace on November 10, where I haven’t been since then,” he said.
“After raising the matter with my union, I received an undated letter via e-mail from my employer on December 5, informing me that I was suspended, pending the outcome of an investigation, and received the charge sheet and notice of my disciplinary hearing on December 6.”
He believed that he was being targeted for “vigorously addressing” fraud and corruption without fear or favour on social media.
“I consider the recent unsubstantiated allegations made on social media and other platforms as defamatory, which may lead to legal action.
“I refuse to be silenced while I am being unjustly slandered by individuals driven by personal resentment rather than factual evidence.
“I do not rule out the possibility of retaliation from the ruling party, which is unable to separate matters of state and party.”
De Koker stated that after informing party structures of the allegations against him, he had agreed to temporarily step down from political activities.
“This decision has no bearing on my membership or my status as a public representative.”
He added that he would continue to focus on serving the interests of the people.
“I remain committed to transparency, accountability and the principles that guide me. I will continue to advocate for a fair and just political landscape and putting the interests of workers first.”
Northern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Lulu Mxekezo confirmed that the employee was placed on precautionary suspension.
“It is a labour procedure to hand over all state property when officials are on suspension. The charges are very serious misconduct of alleged theft that warrant disciplinary action. The disciplinary processes are under way to deal with the allegations,” Mxekezo said.
