31 August 2020
Byline: Levhuwani Matumba
Employees of a local company contracted to build a sewer plant in Charl Cilliers refuse to work after a colleague tested positive for Covid-19.
The infected employee was said to have collapsed at work and was taken to the hospital.
“The results came back positive on Monday, 24 August 2020 and she was told to quarantine for 10 days.
The company closed the site and no tracing of close contact was done,” said one of the employee.
All other employees were instructed to return back to work on Monday, 31 August, and on their arrival, no thermometer machine was used to check body temperature.
According to the employees, Covid-19 regulations are not followed.
The site manager of the company was accused of mocking employees when they raise their concerns, by reminding them that they are not educated.
“I told our site manager that my other colleague is sick and her child was also having flue-like and breathing problems.
He told me that I am not educated and will be fired because I talk too much,” said the employee.
Seskhona Media reporter Levhuwani Matumba visited the site where a meeting was held between the site manager, some of the employees, including the CLO and the Ward Committee member.
The site manager did not know what should be done when one of the employees test positive for Covid-19.
He also did not refute any allegations against the company.
The Mpumalanga Department of Health was contacted and they promised to assist with educating the alleged company on Covid-19 regulations.
