The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape has asked the Chairperson for the Portfolio Committee of Safety, Transport and Public Works to schedule an urgent oversight inspection to the controversial Ocean Echo building, that is currently being used by the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison.
A brief oversight inspection yesterday, to the building on the corner of Sydney and Lennox Streets in Kimberley, was prompted by concerns I raised with the department during the 2023/24 annual report presentation in relation to occupational health and safety issues. This is in addition to the department’s ongoing decision to lease the building on a month-to-month basis.
I can confirm that working days are restricted to six hours a day due to unsafe working conditions. The non-functionality of the air conditioners and the lack of windows, compounded by carpets in the building, has also led to insufficient ventilation. To date, the department has also not conducted any fire drills due to the staircase of the fire escape not being stable. The skills of the Health, Safety, and Environmental Representative, who last received training in 2014, remain outdated, compounding the risk in the building should an emergency arise.
According to the department, it spent over R4,8 million on sick leave for the entire 2023 year. This was largely due to the unsatisfactory conditions impacting on the health of employees. The department further reported that 96.20% of employees used sick leave for the year, with an average of 51 days taken per employee.
The DA has submitted our concerns to MEC Bentley Vass and the HOD, Mr Rodney Pieterse, in addition to the oversight request submitted to portfolio chairperson, Sharifa Ferris.
The department must be held accountable for failing to prioritise employees’ health and the rumored extension of the contract of the building for another five-year period, must also be probed.