SCOPA !

THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE!

THE PLIGHT OF THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICIALS.

1. It all began when National Commissioner Khulekani Sithole eliminating the then COUSA (Correctional Officers Union of South Africa) which was seen as a possible stumbling block to pave the way for Bosasa with POPCRU which was confirmed in at the Zondo Commission as a beneficiary to looted money. This move disadvantaged the Correctional Officials self-determination and authentic voice of Correctional officers, step 1 of the greater plot.

2. The Correctional officials suffered a major blow when the weekend overtime was substituted with seven day working cycle to eliminate weekend payments based upon the LRA’s stipulation of Saturday tariffs and double payment for Sunday and public holidays, this was done to further dispossess the Correctional Officials their remuneration to save the departmental budget in order to fund Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu fencing looting projects.

3.The progressive promotions of Correctional officials from Grades I to III were also terminated as a cost saving plot to fund Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu looting projects, hence today most officials are now on the lower grades II and III for more that 10 years and deliberately said to be on personal scale, deprived of salary adjustments other annual increases collaborated by the corrupted Union Popcru not serving in the interests of its affiliates as a majority .

4.Vacant posts were abolished at least on two occasions between 2006 and 2018 when the so-called belt tightening was introduced. It was once more another cost saving exercise aimed at depriving growth and curb career development of the official across the board, this ulterior motive was to generate and channel funds to boost Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu looting projects.

5. This was then followed up by the malicious introduction of Centre and non-Centre system around 2007/8 senselessly segregating the Correctional officials which further disadvantaged the Correctional Officials limiting the scope of growth and operational flexibility of the management functions of the department. The lower salaries of the non-centre and those declared as employed under the DPSA Act was another plot to save costs to fund the looting because the department existed and operated successfully for many decades until the turn of the century when Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu were prematurely born to loot.

6. The abolishment of post was to suppress officials and entrench stagnation which was a cost saving plot to further enhance and extend the Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu looting projects, rendering loss of deserving income and personal financial growth of the individual officials.
Several names like "Belt tightening" and "Cost Containment “were used by the department to strategically fund the looting from the departmental financial resources to an extent that the following operational challenges came to be:
6.1 Components operated without photocopy paper and printer cartridges.
6.2 Safety of officials became a serious challenge due to staff shortage which led to officials attacked, stabbed and fatalities experienced at certain Correctional Centres across the country all in the name of not replacing the deceased officials, resignations and worse of all even pre-known officials going on retirement were not replaced promptly like the Corporate Services was taken by a great surprise, all these delays were overlooked opportunities to abolish posts and create more than a thousand opportunity to divert millions to the enhancement of the greater looting agenda to beneficiaries Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu looting process.
6.3 This directly affects the operations of the department to operate with skeleton staff in most cases, individual Correctional Officials are overloaded and operating under at risk in the dangerous situations and sometimes double shifts due to serious staff shortages. Lives and welfare of the overloaded officials in the overcrowded environment has adverse health and welfare of the ordinary Correctional Officials.
6.4 Serious shortage of official uniform and termination of certain official uniform garments which were standard uniform issued items were terminated and that happened immediately when the corrupt elements started to loot the departmental financial coffers to funds the Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu looting projects.
6.5 Travel restrictions for MMS and SMS Correctional Services who have structured their packages has the following challenges:
6.5.1 Monitoring and Evaluation is highly compromised where in some instances projects and state needs contracts incur losses running in millions of state revenue.
6.5.2 This category of officials are exposed to SARS penalties with serious tax implications which are not of their own making imposed by the corrupt few stealing to fund certain individuals internal and external as indicated in the Zondo Commission, creating revenue to fund Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezuku looting process benefitting the chosen Senior Managers.

7. Correctional Officials are not sure if they department prioritise the core business of the department as opposed to creating an opportunity for grand theft feeding the longevity of the Bosasa, Sondolo and Phezulu looting process for the chosen senior managers.

We would like this case SIU 2009 invistigation report and 415/02/2019 investigated and the full might of the law brought against the implicated officials. We are willing to provide more information and details. Those implicated are, amongst others: Vincent Smith, Patrick Gillingham, Linda Mti, Nontsikelo Jolingana, Khulekani Sithole, Sbu (once the time the General Secretary of POPCRU), M Nxele, Josiah Maako, Maria Mabena, Shishi Matabella, Mkabela, Dikeledi Tshabala, Zack Modise, Mollet Ngubo, Grace Molatedi, Ishmael Dikane, Thandi Makoko, Syvion Dlamini.

It is hereby requested that the SCOPA should seek responses from the Minister and Deputy Minister to respond to the above-mentioned challenges of the Correctional Officials and what will remedial action on all Management implicated in Agrizzi’s report at Zondo Commission.

Regards Mogotji FM on behalf of the poor members of the department of Correctional Services.
Contacts seunmp@gmail.com
078.423.2142
23 January 2020