NEHAWU statement on the dumped unused PPEs in Centurion
3 August 2020
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] has seen a video that is circulating on social media that shows unused Personal Protective Equipment [PPEs] dumped in a river in Irene, Centurion.
As NEHAWU, we find it very unacceptable that PPEs which are needed by frontline workers to protect themselves and to save the lives of our people are dumped in a river. In the video one can see gloves and masks which are in short supply in healthcare facilities across the country. Some of our members and workers have had to resort to using scarves as masks and refuse bags as aprons because of the intermittent supplies of PPEs in their workplaces.
The narration in the video suggests that the PPEs were thrown in the river by a Covidpreneur who produced a shoddy quality of PPEs hence they had to be disposed in that horrible manner. The national union has been at the forefront of highlighting the need to pay extra attention in the procurement process of PPEs including decentralising the process. We have constantly called on government to abandon the current decentralised and fragmented approach in the procurement of PPEs, as determined by the Guidelines on the Management of the Coronavirus [COVID-19] in the Public Service issued by the Department of Public Service and Administration [DPSA].
Recently, there has been an upsurge in the number of tenderprenuers who produce PPEs and benefitting from the outbreak of the virus while producing low quality work including sanitisers that do not contain the recommended minimum of 70% alcohol. Our members and workers have been complaining of poor quality PPEs which increases the danger of them contracting the virus.
Government has the role to play in ensuring that frontline workers have sufficient PPEs and that they are of good quality. In this regard, we call on government and the South African Bureau of Standards [SABS] to pay extra attention on the quality of PPEs given to frontline workers and to prosecute those found to be benefiting from supplying low quality work which can result in a serious health threat during this pandemic.
NEHAWU will continue to prepare for its National Day of Action scheduled for the 3rd September 2020 if the issue of PPEs and other health and safety measures are not resolved with speed by government.
Issued by Khaya Xaba, NEHAWU National Spokesperson, 3 August 2020
