THE plight of South African nurses frustrated by alleged bureaucratic bungling in ebola-struck Sierra Leone is now being investigated by the African Union.
THE plight of South African nurses frustrated by alleged bureaucratic bungling in ebola-struck Sierra Leone is now being investigated by the African Union.
On Monday, Sowetan reported that the group of 16 nurses feared revenge xenophobic attacks, with some of them saying locals asked whether they were Zulu after finding out they were from SA.
Members of the group told Sowetan that they were stuck in the Sierra Leone lodges in which they lived because they did no t have transport and because owners had not been paid by the AU.
Wynne Musabayana, deputy head of the AU Commission's information and communications directorate, told Sowetan that the threat of revenge xenophobic attacks was not brought to the continental body's attention.
"No incident like this was brought to the attention of the AU headquarters teams that visited Sierra Leone last month, including the director of social affairs [Dr Olawale Maiyegun], who coordinates the ebola response.
"The director returned from Sierra Leone on Sunday, May 24. Nevertheless, the AU will investigate," Musabayana said.
She said as far as they knew, the 16 South African nurses and three paramedics had not experienced any xenophobia, had no fear of being attacked in Sierra Leone, and had been welcomed and befriended by locals.
Musabayana said the nurses and paramedics moved from one hotel to another because the standard of the first hotel was unsuitable.
"In addition, there was a dispute with service providers over bills submitted. The dispute has been resolved and service providers have long been paid."
The AU admitted that there was an initial delay in payment but said the nurses and paramedics had now all been paid.
"Volunteers are on secondment and their salaries are paid at home by [SA NGO] Right to Care, while the AU pays them allowances in Sierra Leone," said Musabayana.
The nurses and paramedics were deployed to the ebola-ravaged country for six months in February as part of the AU Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa mission and are due back in SA at the end of July.
sidimbal@sowetan.co.za
Plight of SA ebola nurses probed
THE plight of South African nurses frustrated by alleged bureaucratic bungling in ebola-struck Sierra Leone is now being investigated by the African Union.
THE plight of South African nurses frustrated by alleged bureaucratic bungling in ebola-struck Sierra Leone is now being investigated by the African Union.
On Monday, Sowetan reported that the group of 16 nurses feared revenge xenophobic attacks, with some of them saying locals asked whether they were Zulu after finding out they were from SA.
Members of the group told Sowetan that they were stuck in the Sierra Leone lodges in which they lived because they did no t have transport and because owners had not been paid by the AU.
Wynne Musabayana, deputy head of the AU Commission's information and communications directorate, told Sowetan that the threat of revenge xenophobic attacks was not brought to the continental body's attention.
"No incident like this was brought to the attention of the AU headquarters teams that visited Sierra Leone last month, including the director of social affairs [Dr Olawale Maiyegun], who coordinates the ebola response.
"The director returned from Sierra Leone on Sunday, May 24. Nevertheless, the AU will investigate," Musabayana said.
She said as far as they knew, the 16 South African nurses and three paramedics had not experienced any xenophobia, had no fear of being attacked in Sierra Leone, and had been welcomed and befriended by locals.
Musabayana said the nurses and paramedics moved from one hotel to another because the standard of the first hotel was unsuitable.
"In addition, there was a dispute with service providers over bills submitted. The dispute has been resolved and service providers have long been paid."
The AU admitted that there was an initial delay in payment but said the nurses and paramedics had now all been paid.
"Volunteers are on secondment and their salaries are paid at home by [SA NGO] Right to Care, while the AU pays them allowances in Sierra Leone," said Musabayana.
The nurses and paramedics were deployed to the ebola-ravaged country for six months in February as part of the AU Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa mission and are due back in SA at the end of July.
sidimbal@sowetan.co.za
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