'These people are being nasty because I am Ndebele and a woman'

EMPLOYEES at Bapong weighbridge traffic station in North West claim their station commander comes to work drunk and not in full uniform.

She has since been transferred to another station.

Monica Madiba is also accused of giving her boyfriend and colleague, James Mnguni, special treatment.

Angry employees who did not want their names disclosed for fear of reprisals said they were demoralised and tired of their boss's behaviour.

They say she is a bully and threatens to fire them every time they raise their concerns. The employees say they have since called on MEC for human settlements and public safety Nono Maloyi to intervene.

Madiba is also accused of claiming travel allowances while using her lover's car.

Workers claim her boyfriend uses a government car without authorisation, and that most of the time he uses it for private errands. They say even if he comes late to work - most of the time drunk - he is not subjected to disciplinary action.

But Madiba says the complainants are targeting her because she is not a Setswana-speaking person and that she is a woman. She says the employees call her lenyasa (a person who is very dark in complexion).

Madiba says she is a workaholic, and puts her work first - but that her staff members do not like that.

She disputes that she and her boyfriend come to work drunk. "I would never do that, and my boyfriend does not even drink alcohol, these people are being nasty because I am Ndebele and I come from Johannesburg.

"They told me that this is a Tswana province and that they want to be managed by a Motswana," she said.

She says she wears morning slippers with her uniform because her office does not have an air conditioner or heater.

"It's very cold in winter. One day I had to run and stop a traffic officer who wanted to drive away with a state vehicle without my authorisation, so they took pictures of me wearing slippers with my uniform."

Madiba says one of the complaining subordinates owns a fleet of taxis and got angry when she told him that it was a conflict of interest.

She says she raised the issue with the North West department of public safety and the labour department, but nothing has been done.

Madiba said she has been treated several times for depression because of the treatment she gets from her staff members. She said they wanted one of the employees, Pule Moeketsi, to be their station commander.

She says Moeketsi scored higher than her in 2008 when they were contesting for her position. "He had a higher score than me, but a female person was required for the post and I got the position because I was second best."

Spokesman at the department of public safety Simon Mmope said: "The MEC has already finalised the matter and we hope that we will reach an amicable solution."

Madiba said late yesterday that she has been told to report at the Brits station.

"I got a letter that says I am being transferred."