Lungile Ntimba
THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called upon President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in stopping the corruption at the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA).
The call comes in the wake of a recent report that fingers CETA’s management board for its planned a 24-day overseas excursion at a cost of R4 million.
Cosatu National Spokesperson Zanele Sabela said on Monday the misconducts are orchestrated by the seniors of CETA and called on Ramaphosa to involve the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in the probe.
“It’s time Ramaphosa intervened not only to place this CETA under administration but also to task the SIU to conduct a forensic investigation, including lifestyle audits on the Board and management,” Sabela said.
She added that the union is also angered by reports that management is threatening action against whistle-blowers at the CETA and she called for urgent protection against these threats.
“The Federation stands firm with our affiliate, NEHAWU, and workers at the CETA who have exposed this pandora’s box of wanton looting,” Sabela said while pointing out that SETAs are funded by employers and workers and their mandate is to invest in skills to improve careers, not to fund “insatiable lifestyles of a criminal elite”.
COSATU emphasised that the union will continue to support the efforts of its principled affiliate, NEHAWU, to surgically excise the CETA of this “cancer of corruption”.
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