Protesting KZN social workers accuse govt of discarding them

More than 200 of the struggling workers marched to the offices of Social Development in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, highlighting temporary contracts as their main gripe. 

Noluthando Thwala, who was one of the organisers of the demonstration, says the situation is untenable.

"We are being given short-term contracts, four to five months and just one-year internship and after that, we are just being discarded on the side and then we just have to see. 

"We have families to feed, some of us have already reached the age of 35, so it makes it even more difficult to get a job at the department."

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The department's Mhlaba Memela says they're aware of their grievances. 

He says some 2 000 qualified social workers are waiting for permanent jobs. 

"There are financial constraints in the department, it not just the Department of Social Development, but the entire government and the posts were also frozen because of financial constraints. 

"What they raised will be listened to. The senior management of the department will then respond to them accordingly."