Cape Town – About 200 community health workers and members of the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) marched to the provincial Health Department’s office in the CBD yesterday to hand over a memorandum of demands, including their being made permanent staff.
The workers said they also want a R2 000 Covid danger allowance and more personal protective equipment.
The march started from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) District Six campus, where they were joined by some students, before moving to Health MEC Dr Nomafrench Mbombo’s office.
The memorandum was received on behalf of Mbombo. Nupsaw provincial chairperson Cynthia Tikwayo said the workers wanted to be recognised by the Department of Health. Their work includes home visits to see whether patients are taking their medication.
“It is not the first time we are fighting for this; even those who were before us fought for the same struggle. We are under NGOs that provide the mandate on how work must be done. But when we have complaints, they tell us that they get mandates from the Department of Health.
“The stipend we receive comes from the Department of Health via NGOs. We don’t benefit as workers; only the NGOs benefit. Our lives are at risk every day; we are being robbed every day when we do door-to-door services,” said Tikwayo.
Provincial convener of the Forum For Service Delivery, Masibulele Zitha said the forum would fight for the workers’ demands until they were met.
“The struggle for workers is our struggle as community leaders. We decided to join them because we believe that a health system is part of the delivery, and we are very clear when it comes to service delivery.”
Health department head Douglas Newman-Valentine accepted the memorandum on Mbombo’s behalf.
“Unfortunately, the MEC could not be here. However, she understands the context of community care health workers. She acknowledges the workers’ demands ... She will accept the memorandum and ... take her time to review and give comments,” said Newman-Valentine.
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said the institution was aware that students regularly leave campus to participate in protest action.
“We are concerned that doing so ... puts the larger CPUT community at risk, since events like these risk super-spreading the Covid-19 virus.
“This week, the CPUT Covid Command Centre has issued a notice with regard to this specific point,” said Kansley.
Cape Times