TWO Eastern Cape husbands this week opened up on how their marriages fell apart after discovering their wives were sexually involved with senior government officials.
One of the men is now raising a child he did not father. The other was cuckolded by his boss. Their stories also place the deepening jobs scandal at the highest levels in Bhisho.
The men, whose names have been withheld to protect the identity of the children, described how officials lured their wives into bed with promises of promotions.
One – an East London police officer – said he was raising a child that was not his.
He told the Dispatch he had decided to have a vasectomy as he had two children. Two years after the procedure, his wife told him she was pregnant.
“I did not understand it and it is then that she confessed to what I had been suspecting for years,” said the officer. “She told me she had sex with the man for a better job because she needed the money. At that time she wanted to change her car and I couldn’t afford one.”
He said they had tried to work things out but failed and have since got divorced. “For the sake of my children I cannot give the complete details of what happened, but I hope these people will be brought to book.”
He said the father of the child still worked in government.
“I suspected something was going on between my wife and this senior manager, but had no proof.
“But when she fell pregnant I had all the proof I needed.”
He said he had reported the matter to the official’s seniors but nothing had happened, and he was worried his wife would lose her job if he confronted the man. “I had to be admitted to St Marks ... I was under stress and depressed ... I lost interest in my work. All that guy did was deny it.”
A second man told the Dispatch his wife was an intern who had sex with a manager in exchange for a senior job. She was later removed from his office by a transfer.
To make matters worse, the husband worked in the same department as the manager.
“This ruined my marriage,” he said. “How do you compete with someone who you report to?”
The Eastern Cape government has appointed a task team to investigate the scandal and the two men have vowed to help.
The Dispatch reported earlier this month on the sex-for-jobs scandal in Bhisho after four women revealed how senior government managers had demanded sexual favours in return for jobs.
The team started its work on Tuesday and is headed by Ngaka Mosehana, the head of the department for safety and liaison.
She will be assisted by advocate Zoleka Fanana from the office of the premier; Zolisa Loni, department of education; Dr Sjekula Mbanga, department of human settlements; and the Rev Canon Lulama Ntshingwa, religious fraternity and chairman of the Eastern Cape Men’s Sector.
The team will give affected employees the chance to come forward to present and substantiate their allegations.
The window of opportunity began on Tuesday, June 17 and runs until Friday July 11.
National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) members in the Bhisho legislature and local government have handed over memorandums to their respective political heads regarding the allegations. — mphumziz@dispatch.co.za