Over 90 former Tshwane South College (TSC) employees are struggling to make ends meet, after they were allegedly purged and fired by management at the college for blowing the whistle on corruption and other related charges.
Despite being indicted by a Gauteng Shared Service Centre Forensic report and the Public Protector’s report, the principal is still occupying his position at the college.
Winners Shitlavani’s dismissal from Tshwane South College in 2011 left him devastated.
His house was auctioned by the bank for failure to pay monthly installments. He is among the 90 former TSC employees who were allegedly harassed and fired by the principal for being whistle-blowers.
“A general worker worked at TSC from 2001 and she/he was not signing a contract until when Chiloane changed that contract into three months and after three months they were dismissed. They went to the CCMA all of them they got the outcome and it says that this is unfair labour practice,” says Shitlavani.
Former Gauteng Education MEC Angie Motshekga suspended the principal Joe Chiloane and fired his Deputy following the conclusion of a Gauteng Shared Service Centre forensic report.
However, former MEC Motshekga’s predecessor Barbra Creecy, re-appointed the pair, allegedly without consulting the whistle-blowers. This allegedly led to victimisation, orchestrated suspensions and dismissals of 90 former employees of the college.
The Public Protector wants the former employees compensated and some re-appointed.
“I’ll have to take the matter directly to the minister if the minister is not implementing, then report to Parliament for Parliament to also intervene,” says Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
The Higher Education Department says the dismissals are justified.
“They know that some of them were found guilty in the Magistrate’s Court, we do have the transcripts. They were found guilty by the court for having damaged the property,” says DHET Legal Department’s Advocate Makhele.
An SIU investigation into Tshwane South College is currently under way. Its outcome will either vindicate the Higher Education Department or reveal if the department prejudiced the 90 former Tshwane South college employees.
