LETTER: Broken state department

Tendani Mulaudzi’s feature article on the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) refers (“Stressful ordeal awaits people trying to get UIF payments”, April 22).

Thank you for this interesting input from various individuals who are suffering in an incredibly stressful situation. I sympathise, since I have been dealing with the department of employment & labour, and in particular the UIF, over the past 10 years as an MP and labour spokesperson for the official opposition. I have sent in almost 20,000 individual complaints in writing, which I now realise has probably been just the tip of the iceberg.

I have dealt with dozens of officials, including the UIF commissioner, who has always been forthcoming and willing to try to help at every juncture. Unfortunately, this one man does not have a functional department below him. Despite his good wishes and competence, he is invariably let down.

Though I feel sorry for the commissioner himself, the broken department needs a complete overhaul, specifically concerning the UIF’s personnel, resources and structures. My understanding is that the department is now trying to divide the UIF into a separate entity hoping that this will be a quick fix. A similar exercise is under way with the Compensation Fund.

But we need a lot more than this. Cadre deployment within the department has destroyed of UIF’s ability to function. It is going to need a new government to step in and assess the ability of each and every individual and department within the UIF. This will be a long haul but needs urgent intervention from new political structures.

Michael Bagraim, MP
DA labour spokesperson

JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.