Cape Town - Western Cape deputy commissioner for Correctional Services Freddie Engelbrecht faces possible disciplinary action over his role in a Solidarity delegation to the UN.
Sources in the department charge that Engelbrecht had gone to the UN in Switzerland to agitate that sanctions be imposed against South Africa over the government's employment equity laws.
Engelbrecht is a member of Solidarity.
Solidarity chief executive Dirk Hermann insisted that no call had been made for sanctions to be imposed on the government, but this could happen should diplomacy fail.
On July 15, the Constitutional Court ruled the Department of Correctional Services had unfairly discriminated against seven coloured prison warders from the Western Cape for refusing to promote them, citing national demographics in its application of employment equity.
The seven were granted the right to appeal.
Five days after the Constitutional Court ruling, Engelbrecht wrote a letter to his boss, Delekile Klaas, stating that he was invited by Solidarity to go to Switzerland as an “observer”, and that the union would pay for his travel and accommodation.
“I'm taking my own leave and attending in my personal capacity. I'm not aware of any policy or procedure which dictates that I need to declare this trip. If you are aware of anything of this nature, please inform me accordingly,” wrote Engelbrecht.
Two weeks thereafter, at the UN’s meeting of the committee for the eradication of all forms of discrimination, Solidarity made a presentation and despite his earlier claims that he had been an “observer”, highly placed sources at Correctional Services said Engebrecht was in the “front and centre”.
“How can he go there and speak out against the South Africa government for which he is a manager?” a DCS official askedanonymously.
Engelbrecht was adamant the department could not take action against him because he had gone to Switzerland in his private capacity.
“I heard about certain people who were unhappy (about my visit), but they're happy when they're doing things against minorities. As far as I'm concerned they can go to hell, they don't care about me or my colleagues,” said Engelbrecht.
While there was talk of a complaint against him to the Public Service Commission, its director, Dovhani Mamphiswana, said no such complaint had been brought to his attention.
Deputy Minister of Justice John Jeffery, who also attended the meeting in Switzerland on behalf of the government, said he was not aware that a government official had been part of Solidarity’s delegation.
“Solidarity have distorted what happened (at the meeting) during their presentation. None of the UN members supported their positions,” said Jeffery.
Correctional Services national commissioner Zach Modise said he was unaware that one of his officials had gone to represent Solidarity at the UN meeting.
“If that's the case, I would have to look into it. It is inappropriate, he is a member of the management,” said Modise.
Cape Times