The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) in Parliament says it is against any attempt to suspend the Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George.
It says there are attempts to effect the suspension before the end of the sixth Parliament.
The union says it supports how George has transformed the institution since he became secretary in 2022. It says George rejected plans to erect a modular structure for Parliament while the restoration of the damaged buildings was underway.
The structures would allegedly have cost R600 million.
Nehawu Chairperson in Parliament S’thembiso Tembe says, “What we heard is that when he is suspended, they will then appoint one of the secretaries of the two houses and that person, who will be appointed, will be entrusted with the responsibility to relook at the issue of the modular structure. It means they will revert to that particular issue that he stopped and build that modular structure.”
Tembe says the some people implicated in the investigation report are seemingly shielded from facing the consequences.
“And we want to say, in terms of the investigation report, as a union, we are aware that not everyone that was implicated by the report is facing the consequences. We know that there are people implicated by the report that are not part of those that are facing the consequences,” he says.
He says they will oppose the the appointment of anyone implicated in the report.
“And the information that we have is that one of the secretaries of the two houses that is anticipated that they might appoint is one of those that were implicated by that particular report. Should that happen, as organised labour, we will oppose it,” explains Tembe.
