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DENTAL THERAPIST: Frustrated Khayalethu Kongile

 I was sent a letter in October last year saying they were aware that it was my final year as a student and reminding me that I had to start working for them this year 

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Khayalethu Kongile, 22, said he could not look for a job because his contract with the Eastern Cape provincial government states that he has to work for them for four years after completing his studies.

"I was meant to work for them for four years because I studied for four years with their bursary," said Kongile, who completed his studies last year.

"I got a bursary from the Eastern Cape department of health and they promised me a job, but I am still unemployed."

Kongile said he was awarded a bursary by the department in 2008 to study dental technology at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

He said as part of the contract he was supposed to be placed by the department to complete the terms of his contract.

"I was sent a letter in October last year saying they were aware that it was my final year as a student and reminding me that I had to start working for them this year," he said.

"They also wrote that if I failed to do so I would have to pay them for all the years I had been studying plus interest."

The letter, he claimed, was sent by the superintendent-general of the health department.

As part of the agreement, Kongile said, he went to the department in January when he was told he would be placed at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital as a dental technologist.

"I even went on the tour and everything. Then they told me I should expect a call the next week with an appointment letter. Weeks went by with no word," he said.

He then went to the human resources (HR) department.

"They told me I was not registered with the Dental Technology Association of South Africa and that was why I had not been placed. My parents paid R560 to get me registered and I went back to them when I had finalised my registration."

He said the registration was finalised in March and he still has not been placed.

"My sister decided to call the HR department again and they told her there was no funding for my post," he said. "I then sent a letter to the superintendent-general on May 11 and I've sent SMSes and made calls to the general manager of HR, and she keeps telling me that she's in a meeting," he said. "I want to go to work. I feel like they've abandoned me."

Kongile said his parents were unemployed and he hoped to help them financially.

"I also can't find another job because they will sue me," he said.

Spokesman for the department, Sizwe Kupelo, said it was Kongile's fault that he was unemployed.

"I just want to say he must not put the blame on the government. He must take the blame. He failed to register.

"If you are not registered with the council we cannot allow you to help the patients. It is illegal."

Confronted with the fact that Kongile has been registered since March, Kupelo said, "he must look for a job".

Kupelo, however, did offer to help Kongile and make sure his documents get to the relevant people.

"I reject any conclusion that says the department is in the wrong." - nkosin@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Tue May 21 00:13:23 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 1, 2012

Ann

papa ke bona o na le senyamanyana,kopa o tsoge ka 0.00 in the morning o tlhapa ko nokeng ya lepelle, o tla bereka after that
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Jun 1, 2012

DA-DBN-GUY

Do you really expect anything less from this pa thetic government we have?
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Jun 1, 2012

papamasentlelebonolo

These ppl are full of crap go look for a job elsewhere boy
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Jun 1, 2012

wesbuw22

Why dont yuo go look for another job, tell them to give you a job or you will sue them for breach of contract if not then go find yourself a job
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Jun 1, 2012

DA-DBN-GUY

papamasentlelebonolo

Did you even bother to read the full story dude? He cant look for work anywhere else as he signed a contract with the government to pay back his bursary by working for the government for 4 years after he completed his studies!
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Jun 1, 2012

ProudSAcan

Spokesman for the department, Sizwe Kupelo, said it was Kongile's fault that he was unemployed.

"I just want to say he must not put the blame on the government. He must take the blame. He failed to register.

"If you are not registered with the council we cannot allow you to help the patients. It is illegal."

Confronted with the fact that Kongile has been registered since March, Kupelo said, "he must look for a job".
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WOW! Pretty pathetic. Sies Sizwe! I guess whatever that is in the contract now is null and void you mean???? Sies man, if the boy applied somewhere else you guys would be making noise now about the same contract and yet there is so much lack of personeel in these hospitals.
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Jun 1, 2012

papamasentlelebonolo

@DA-DBN-GUY
Confronted with the fact that Kongile has been registered since March, Kupelo said, "he must look for a job".

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Jun 1, 2012

MicaParis

I advise our students were is possible to study towards careers which are on the market at the moment. It is very important to specialized on key scarce areas of Private sector, such as IT, Engineering, Research, Physics(drug production) because Government is run by Mafias who employ relatives and friends even in areas which are absolutely impossible for them to perform for the sake of enabling them to get a salary. That does not have any impact on Government because they are not profit based. Rather market yourself towards Private sector with the necessary skills and specialized scarce areas, graduates will never spend three months without working. Please stop depending on Government handouts, they have got owners in family, girlfriends, friends and most of all ANC connected comrades. I have a proof of that as I am a very top Government employee and I see everything which is happening, it is very sad for the masses out there. Let us reveal to students in Universities that BA, Law and other degrees which most of their graduates are loitering on the street are saturated and studying towards those if you have no legal firm or brothers company to work for is a complete suicidal and waist of money and resources.
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Jun 1, 2012

papamasentlelebonolo

@MicaParis
You've said a mouth full.
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Jun 1, 2012

Motabolapasa

@Ann

o tsebela kae lepelle
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