The Gauteng Department of Health says it never employed the security officers protesting in its offices in Johannesburg.
Videos of the officers who, at some point, were naked during the protest have been widely circulated on social media.
WHY ARE SECURITY OFFICERS PROTESTING OUTSIDE GAUTENG HEALTH OFFICES?
Following the protest, the Gauteng Department of Health said it is important to clarify that it never employed the protesting security officers.
The department said it previously had month-to-month contracts with private security service providers, which expired at the end of March.
“These service providers previously employed the protesting officers, and their employment was not directly linked to the department. Therefore, the Gauteng Department of Health cannot commit to absorbing employees that service providers previously contracted,” the department explained.
DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTS A LONG-TERM CONTRACT
The department said it decided to implement a long-term security contract, which came into effect on 1 April and will run until the end of March 2027.
Furthermore, the contract involves 113 security companies that have commenced work to safeguard the department’s 37 hospitals, over 300 clinics, and other institutions.
“As a result, a total of 6000 security officers are currently employed by these companies, of which 95% were absorbed from previous service providers.
“Although the Department cannot get itself involved in the recruitment processes of private companies to ensure that security officers that were previously contracted to service providers whose contracts were terminated at the end of March are not left behind, the department has pleaded with the new security companies to consider them for new employment opportunities.
“In the process, some of these new companies welcomed the department’s plea and contacted a few protesters, but unfortunately, they rejected this offer, citing that they are still busy protesting,” the department added.
In addition, the department said the appointment of security companies on a long-term basis aligns with its commitment to strengthen security measures across healthcare facilities in the province.
The previous reliance on month-to-month security contracts posed challenges in terms of stability and continuity, which have now been rectified through this new security arrangement.
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