Bhisho starts probe into sex-for-jobs

Former ANC MPL and later education MEC Neela Hossain has been appointed to chair a team to probe the long-standing allegations of sex-for-jobs at the Bhisho legislature.

Hossain’s task team known as “Committee of Inquiry into Allegations of Sexual Irregularities”, started their work in earnest yesterday and was expected to complete the probe by the end of July.

The task team was established by legislature political head, speaker Noxolo Kiviet, after allegations that senior administrators used their positions to solicit sexual favours from junior employees.

The team was formed just more than a year after these allegations, which first surfaced in 2011 at the institution, gained publicity in May last year when organised labour took to the streets demanding an investigation.

Hossain’s committee is expected to use the Bhisho State House, where premier Phumulo Masualle’s offices are located, as their base for the next two months.

They are expected to receive various submissions from aggrieved employees and those who did not obtain employment at the institution after allegedly refusing sexual advances from the bosses.

Hossain will be assisted by academics including Dr Nombulelo Lubisi of the University of Fort Hare, Gordon Barker from Rhodes University, Thanduxolo Qotoyi from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and Miss P Makaula of Walter Sisulu University.

No response to questions on the matter to legislature spokeswoman Bulelwa Ganyaza had been received at the time of writing.

However in the terms of a reference document seen by the Daily Dispatch, it states that the legislature had noted with great concern allegations of nepotism, sexual harassment and jobs-for-sex which had been widely raised in the public domain. “In the main, the allegations are to the effect that officials of the legislature have and or had sexual relations in exchange for jobs.

“The officials undergoing internship programmes at the institution were identified as being the most vulnerable,” states the document.

It adds that it is necessary that allegations be investigated in order to determine their veracity, the extent to which they were happening and also to recommend remedial action.

Hossain’s committee will among others investigate:

lThe process followed in appointing interns since January 2011 to see if the process is prone to any form of abuse or manipulation;

• Whether anyone had been appointed to the internship programme irregularly or in return for sexual favours;

Whether anyone on an internship programme was then appointed to a permanent or contract position in return for sexual favours;

Whether anyone on the internship programme or employee of the legislature had been subjected or threatened to be subjected to any form of occupational detriment as a result of his or her refusal to provide sexual favours; and

Whether anyone had been treated differently because he or she refused to provide sexual favours.

Ganyaza yesterday refused to answer questions sent, but said; “the legislature will soon issue a statement on the progress made in this regard”.

Attempts to reach Hossain proved fruitless yesterday, while Nehawu secretary at the institution Branton Jonas, welcomed the formation of the team, saying he hoped it would go a long way “in fighting glaring abuse of women at the institution”.

Jonas urged all those affected to come forward, and said the union would make a submission on three cases which he refused to elaborate on. — asandan@dispatch.co.za