The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) in Gauteng has criticised the absence of consultation regarding police staff relocation.
This follows the recent closure and evacuation of the South African Police Service headquarters at the Telkom Towers in Pretoria Central.
The union had said it had concerns about mismanagement and neglect observed in government owned properties.
Its president Thulani Ngwenya said the union is calling for formal discussions between relevant stakeholders.
“The union insists on being involved in discussions to ensure that the rights and concerns of workers and our members are adequately addressed in light of the recent events at Telkom Towers,” he said.
He further said there must be transparent communication and consultation with all parties involved.
Ngwenya said the responsibility for managing public buildings, such as the Telkom Towers complex, should be transferred from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to the director generals of respective government departments.
“The control of maintenance budgets should not lie with the department as it has consistently failed to manage buildings effectively,” he added.
He said as a union they believe that it is time for the department to relinquish building management duties.
“Each department should take ownership and responsibility for managing their own buildings and overseeing their own maintenance requirements to ensure efficiency and accountability,” he said.
The union has further urged the Department of Employment and Labour to conduct thorough safety inspections of all public buildings housing essential services.
He further said it is essential that government agencies implement stringent measures to ensure safe working conditions for all employees, stating that workplace safety should be a top priority.
Ngwenya added that the union is seeking accountability from the SAPS management regarding the dilapidated state of the Telkom Towers building.
According to Ngwenya, SAPS management should be held accountable for negligently ensuring compliance with health and safety standards in the office while the Minister of Police works from home.
“We call upon Minister Bheki Cele to conduct a thorough investigation into the responsible parties and implement appropriate disciplinary measures, treating this issue with the same seriousness as any other misconduct within the department,” he said.
The union said , a comprehensive investigation is needed into the validity of the Telkom Towers building's occupancy certificates, as well as the allocation and expenditure of its refurbishment and maintenance budgets.
“The state of Telkom Towers points to alarming signs of irregularities, those responsible must be held to account, and government must implement the necessary changes to prevent the same from happening again,” Ngwenya added.
Pretoria News
lesego.montso@inl.co.za
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