1. 10 City Press || 17 April 2011
News
The Minister of Transport and provincial MECs for roads and transport will
launch a massive job-creation drive through the S’hamba Sonke – Moving
Together roads infrastructure upgrade and maintenance programme this
year.
The programme will improve access to schools, clinics and other
social and economic opportunities. It will upgrade the entire
secondary roads network by fixing and repairing potholes
throughout the country.
Some R6,4 billion has been set aside for 2011/12. During
2012/13, R7,5 billion will be spent and R8,2 billion will be spent during 2013 and
2014 on the programme. In total, an amount of R22,3 billion will be spent over
three years.
It is estimated that 70 000 jobs for individuals and emerging contractors
will be created during 2011/12.
S’hamba Sonke – Moving Together Launch
Venue: Inkosi Albert Luthuli International
Convention Centre (ICC Durban)
Date: 18 April 2011
Time: 10:00
Enquiries: Ms. Constance Molewa
(012) 309 3746 or molewac@dot.gov.za
Ms. Eva Maruleng
(012) 309 3012 or marulene@dot.gov.za
For more information, please contact: Branch: Communication, The Department of Transport • 159 Struben street (corner Bosman and Struben streets), Pretoria, 0001
Tel: 012 309 3000 • Fax: 012 309 3666 • www.transport.gov.za
S’HAMBA SONKE!
rEBuildiNg Our rOAdS, crEAtiNg jOBS!
20110411•EyethuMedia•0117875966
rEBuildiNg Our rOAdS
NEtwOrK tOgEtHEr!
lEt uS crEAtE jOBS!
S’HAMBA SONKE!
rE SEpElA KA MOKA!
BEcOME A pArt Of it!
Minister of Transport,
Sibusiso Ndebele
SILINDILE NYATHIKAZI
silindile.nyathikazi@citypress.co.za
Do you dread the thought of
missing a meeting because a
colleague might just under
mine you?
Count yourself among the
37% of South African workers
who are bullied or victimised at
least once in their careers,
according to research by the
Workplace Dignity Institute.
“Often workers are being
bullied and they don’t even
know it,” says Dr Susan Stein
man, founder and chairperson
of the institute.
Gossip, screaming, throwing
tantrums, swearing, conspira
cies to isolate someone and
rude and insensitive emails are
some examples of bullying in
the workplace.
However, says industrial
psychologist Zurayda Shaik,
not all workplace conflict is
tantamount to bullying.
While it is not a new phenom
enon, workplace bullying is a
growing trend. Steinman says
it is a byproduct of the “major
and profound restructuring of
the workplace and globalisa
tion as companies lay off work
ers to increase profit and over
load the remaining staff to the
extent that stress is common
place in the corporate world.
“It has led to an increase in
negative survival behaviour
such as workplace bullying.”
While past studies show that
in most cases bosses are the
perpetrators, increasingly,
according to Steinman, “some
oneinaseniorpositionisequal
ly prone to being bullied”.
This is a result of boundaries
being blurred because hierar
chies have become less strict.
Shaik notes increased aware
ness and reporting of the issue
because of realisation of the
detrimental effect it has on
workers and organisations.
Reporting the bullying to
superiors often aggravates the
situation, however, as victims
become alienated from col
leagues and their abilities are
questioned, Steinman says.
This can affect the victim’s
ability to function properly,
both in and outside the work
place.
In Australia a new law could
see bullies face up to 10 years
in jail. This comes after the re
cent suicide of a teenage wait
ress who was bullied by her
colleagues.
In South Africa there is “no
specificlegislationthatdirectly
deals with bullying in the
workplace, but workers are
protected by, for example the
Employment Equity Act and
the Protected Disclosures Act”,
saysNickRobb,apartneratlaw
firm Webber Wentzel.
The first port of call for em
ployees is to report incidents of
bullying to their managers, but
this system “is widely mistrust
ed by everybody as it is often
the company lawyer who is
probably friends with the per
petrator who handles the case,
andinsomecasestheemployer
will not even take it up,” says
Steinman.
“Grievance procedures in the
workplace often do not work
because of this and some form
of independent arbitration is
needed,” she says.
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
What is bullying?
According to Dr Susan Steinman,
founder and chairperson of the
Workplace Dignity Institute, more
than 600 definitions of workplace
bullying exist.
“(It is difficult to define) but the
characteristic of it is that it is
humiliating, prolonged, infringes
on the victim’s right to dignity, is
degrading and is typically uncalled
for and unexpected behaviour. The
victim is often caught off guard.
“It can take many forms. It can
be silent treatment, screaming and
shouting, it is underhanded and
can be covert or overt.
“No two bullying cases are the
same and a description is better
than a definition, but the end
result is the violation of the
dignity of a person.
“Psychological harassment is the
same thing as bullying, because it
has the intent to hurt.”
An extreme example
The case of two factory owners
who allegedly sexually assaulted
four Cape Town workers at
gunpoint and forced them to
drink urine from toilet bowls
represents an extreme example of
bullying in the workplace,
Steinman says.
“It is absolutely sadistic
bullying. We must note that
bullying is also violence and can
go into torture,” she says.
The accused appeared in court
on Thursday on charges of
assault, indecent assault, crimen
injuria and intimidation, Sapa
reported. The case was postponed
until tomorrow for a bail hearing.
What to do if you are being bullied
“The first and most important
step is that the victim must
confront the bully, because in
some cases the bullies might not
be aware of their behaviour,”
says Steinman.
“Then the victim must report it
to the supervisor and thereafter,
if not happy, must pursue other
avenues.
“The victim has to bring it out
into the open (but) not gossip
about it to other colleagues
because then it is not taken
seriously,” adds Steinman.
“It is important that the victim
must come up with a solution to
the problem, even if that
includes leaving that company for
the sake of happiness.”
Bullying ‘a byproduct’ of
overloading stressed staff
‘‘Grievance
procedures in
the workplace
often do not
work
– SUSAN STEINMAN
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KHOSI BIYELA
khosi.biyela@citypress.co.za
The family of one of the men
allegedly beheaded by Durban
“axeman” Joseph Ntshongwana
has been forced to bury him
without his head.
Now Excellent Mkhize’s brother,
Zamokhule, wants to see Ntshong
wana – currently undergoing
psychiatric evaluation at the Fort
Napier mental hospital near
Pietermaritzburg – to find out
where his sibling’s missing head
and heart are so that they can lay
him to rest properly.
Last week, Mkhize arrived at the
Durban Magistrates Court to try
and quiz Ntshongwana (34) about
the missing body parts, but could
not because the alleged killer got
intoafrenzyandhadtobeescorted
from the courtroom and taken to
Westville Prison’s hospital
section.
“He didn’t have to take his head.
We want to know where he put it
and why he took it. What was he
going to do with it,” an angry
Mkhize said.
Excellent, who was working as a
security guard in Chatsworth, was
hacked to death on his way home
to nearby Welbedacht on March 15.
His headless body was found
lying on the side of the road.
Mkhize only recognised Excel
lent’s body from his work uniform
whenheandotherfamilymembers
were called to the mortuary to
identify his remains.
Ntshongwana is facing three
counts of murder, one of attempt
ed murder and one of assault with
intent to cause grievous bodily
harm.
On Thursday, he was sent for 30
days’ further psychiatric
observation to determine whether
he was fit to stand trial.
While a district surgeon’s report
indicated that he was mentally
capable of understanding the
charges against him, his lawyer,
Karl van der Merwe, convinced the
court that further tests were
necessary. He was scheduled to
appear in court again on May 13.
Mkhize was not happy with the
latest developments in the case.
“They are lying. If he was as
crazy as he says, he couldn’t have
planned his killings, he would have
killed anyone, at any time,” he said.
“I want to know where he hid
these body parts he took. My
brother was the breadwinner and
his children will starve because of
this. We want my brother’s body
partssowecanburythem,”hesaid.
He said Excellent died two days
after they had returned from their
elder brother’s funeral at Jolivet on
the KwaZuluNatal south coast.
Police spokesperson Colonel
Vincent Mdunge said police had
not found Excellent’s head or
heart.
“Although the court decided to
send Ntshongwana to a mental
institution, we will continue with
our investigation,” said Mdunge.
‘I want my
brother’s head’
Victim’s family demand ‘axeman’ returns parts
Zamokuhle Mkhize
Julius Malema should dance a lot more.
The ANC Youth League president has
shown a steady weight increase since being
elected to the top job in April 2008. This
week he could only manage only a few
minutes of jumping from one foot to the
other outside court before the huffing and
puffing started.
Personal trainer Chris Young said that
the best way to lose weight was to cut out
fast foods and exercise for 30 minutes a
day, three times a week. “You don’t need
to go to the gym to lose weight,” said
Young. “People can use simple methods
like taking the stairs, taking walks or even
just parking further away.”
Young said there was no quick way to
lose weight around the abdominal area,
which is a problem that many people
battle – including Juju.
“If you want to burn fat, you must do
that all over your body and to do that you
have to exercise continually,” said Young.
Dietician Pamela Pillay warned that an
increase in weight around the abdominal
area was an indicator of heart disease. She
said: “It could mean the person is not
eating healthy foods or they may not be
burning off the weight that they are
putting on.”
A change in lifestyle and lack of exercise
have contributed to an increase in obesity
among South Africans, and politicians are
not exempt from the problem.
“Such activity can have the potential of
damaging your muscles or putting pressure
on your joints,” said Pillay.
Pillay said it would be difficult to deter
mine if a person was overweight without
having measured their body mass index,
but said certain signs such as an increase
in girth were sure indicators an individual
was not fit enough and was prone to suf
fering from diabetes. – Mokgaetji Shadung
Juju must
dance more
to jiggle less
Then: Juju last year looking somewhat slimmer
|| PHOTOS: FELIX DLANGAMANDLA Now: Outside court this week, the kilos were showing
