Lesotho Sun rocked by racism claims

BY NTSAU LEKHETHO

MASERU – Basotho employees at the Lesotho Sun Hotel are accusing management of racism and exploitation and have petitioned head office in South Africa for intervention.

The workers are claiming the hotel’s management treats them as inferior to their white South African colleagues, and are also alleging sexual exploitation by white male employees in positions of authority.

According to Public Eye investigations, Basotho have unequal access to parking space, restaurants and bars, are paid less than the stipulated minimum wage and suffer sexual exploitation by some managers.

The disgruntled staff, in a letter dated May 5, 2010, asked South Africa-based Sun International regional director, Mervyn Naidoo, and human resources director, Kele Mazwai to intervene before the situation gets out of hand.

“We please urge the executive to help us do away with the racism that seems to emerge contrary to Sun International policy,” the disgruntled staff wrote.

Among other things, Basotho employees say they are upset the Lesotho Sun acting general manager, Martin Van Der Breggen – like his predecessor Andre De Mol – barely tolerates them or meets them with open hostility and the slots manager, Andries Bester, bullies them around while they use human resources manager, Gerald Mofolo, as their “boy” to advance their interests.

“Basotho can’t eat in the restaurants or drink in the bars as the whites,” an employee told Public Eye on condition of anonymity. “Basotho are allowed to eat and drink only in the canteen. It’s unfair that the hotel’s management treats us on the basis of skin colour and think they are superior because they are white.”

On March 2, 2010 former general manager De Mol wrote: “Please be advised that with immediate effect, no member of staff are to consume food and beverages in any of the bars, restaurants or conference venues at both units. In future, if any member of staff would like to use these facilities, they may do so with the consent of the general manager.”

The incumbent general manager, Martin Van Der Breggen told Public Eye on Wednesday, August 18 that if they paid for their meals and drinks, then they were allowed to use the restaurants and bars.

“I have not denied anyone permission to use the facilities. But we also have a canteen which was built for their use. We provide food for staff on duty and they should use the facility,” Van Der Breggen said.

Human resources manager Gerald Mofolo said: “Our restaurants and bars bring income for the company. They are welcome to use them but we are also careful that it does not compromise our patrons.”

Van Der Breggen added that employees could freely use the restaurants and bars if they wore civilian clothing. “But they need my permission when they are wearing staff uniform,” he said.

On August 1, 2010, Van Der Breggen wrote an email addressed to security manager, Seabata Ntsiki, ordering him that the parking area should predominantly be used by white South Africans except for the human resources manger Gerald Mofolo, a Mosotho employee.

He wrote that the following staff members were permitted to use the parking in the loading bay area: Martin Van Der Breggen, Stian Van Blerk, Annitjie Van Der Walt, Lyn Callaway, Gerald Mofolo, Peter Hayes, Andries Bester, Rivash Dass, Robert Dunn, Willa Potgieter and a chef popularly known as Rambo.

“The predominantly white list is one of segregation based on skin colour,” said the Public Eye source. “Some of the whites allowed to park in the reserved area are actually junior staff, who don’t deserve to park there, were it based on seniority in the workplace.”

The source said Dunn was only a handyman doing maintenance work, while Potgieter was an executive housekeeper who reported to a black senior, who on the other hand was not allowed parking space.

Mofolo told Public Eye on Wednesday, August 18, that “it was true that most of the senior people here are white because of the nature of the gambling environment which Basotho are not used to.”

He said the decision to reserve parking space for predominantly white staff was not based on skin colour, rather on seniority as there was limited parking space at the hotel.

“It’s available on first come, first served basis,” Mofolo said. “There is a conscious reason that parking space is a problem. It’s not a case of whites against blacks.”

Van Der Breggen said the executive management had resolved the issue, adding he did not see anything wrong if senior staff – even if they were white – got parking space as perks.

Van Der Breggen said management had resolved that Dunn, whom he said was a senior engineer not just a maintenance worker, and Potgieter, a regional housekeeper, as well as the regional chef, were allowed to park in the reserved parking space for ease of their work as it demanded that they travel between Lesotho Sun and Maseru Sun hotels.

“The senior engineer has also been requested to increase the parking space to accommodate more people,” he added.

According to the April 14, 2010 email approved by Van Der Breggen, Basotho fall short of whites in every single occupation, even leftovers.

The email said: “From today till further notice, Andries Bester, the slots manager, will be allowed to remove the pig food and the used oil in yellow containers.”

The staff has argued in their May 5 letter that several employees “were granted permission to take pig food and kitchen staff also were allowed to take cooking oil containers and used oil.”

“But to our disappointment, the slots manager demanded the practice come to a stop for his benefit,” said the letter.

The letter pointed out that the general manager, Van Der Breggen and security manager Ntsiki had consequently discriminated against other employees for making the leftovers and oil containers the preserve of the slots manager Bester because he was white and they were black.

“A person with such huge benefits for pig food… this is bad,” the letter said.

Van Der Breggen said Bester had made an application to exclusively take the oil as he wanted to recycle it into diesel. He said since the used oil was poisonous, management thought it worthwhile that Bester’s idea was noble as it also promoted compliance with health and safety regulations.

“We gave him the exclusive right to take the used oil but he is still running tests and the matter will be discussed further,” he said.

Mofolo said Bester, who has since brought results to management, would continue taking the oil because the results were not conclusive.

He said he did not think that it benefited Bester in any way, to the exclusion of other staff members, because he was still running the tests.

Asked when management realised the oil was poisonous and should be recycled by Bester only, Mofolo said: “It doesn’t matter when management realised the oil was poisonous; what matters anywhere in management is that an incorrect decision should be corrected by management.”

While the Public Eye source said Bester was taking leftovers because he reared pigs, Mofolo said he was not sure whether Bester owned any pigs but acknowledged that he was taking the pig food because he had made an application, which was approved by management.

Van Der Breggen said: “I have not seen him take any pig food but the decision goes that if any of the staff members makes the application, we will not decline them. We’ve established that there’s one rule for all following a meeting we had with the regional director here last week.”

He said none of the black staff had made an application to collect pig food.

On sexual harassment, the workers alleged in the May 5 letter: “…(name supplied) removed MVG (Most Valued Guest) coordinator, Lebohang Kose, from her position without a reason” and demoted her to a clerical job where she was forced to work minimum hours.

He has refused to write a formal letter about his decision and Kose has consequently reported the matter to human resources manager, Gerald Mofolo, to no avail.

The source said Kose was demoted because she could not fall for the manager’s sexual overtures.

“Sexual harassment occurs from time to time at Lesotho Sun,” said the Public Eye source.

“I can’t answer that,” Mofolo said, but continued: “It’s a serious accusation whether she was sexually harassed. It’s very difficult to say whether it happened or not.”

Mofolo said it was not true Kose had been removed from her position. “I have not received any complaint from her (Kose).”

Van Der Breggen said Lesotho Sun had a grievance procedure, which Kose should have followed against sexual harassment. “She should have brought it forward,” he said.

Furthermore, the staff letter of May 5 addressed to the Sun International directors in South Africa said: “There are complaints in human resources about this man (the alleged sex pest) but they don’t seem to have control over him. The human resource manager as well seems to segregate the staff from management. You can send an investigator. This has gone to a point where even customers want to take this matter with the media.”

The Public Eye source said the nature of the jobs at Lesotho Sun are paid at piece rates, which means any breaks or time-off are unpaid. Many work Monday through Sunday, and work extra hours when there is a special rush order like the recent visit to Lesotho by South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma.

“Staff works overtime but do not get paid for it,” said the letter.

But this is against the agreement signed on July 21, 2008 between Lesotho Sun and the labour union that represents staff, National Union of Commerce, Catering and Allied Workers.

The agreement said a night shift allowance of M1 (one loti) per hour will be paid to all employees subject to night shift defined as from 18h00 to 06h00 and an employee will receive a pro rata payment, for any period of hours worked during the defined night shift.

The agreement said the minimum salary is M1,919.

Even if they work extra hours, the Public Eye source said, pay is the same or less regardless of how many hours or days worked by black employees. “They treat us like we are not permanent employees,” the source said.

Mofolo said it was untrue that black workers were not paid overtime. “Everybody’s letter of appointment clearly spells out under what conditions they should get paid,” he said. “Everybody who has worked overtime in line with the policy of the company shall be paid.”

On March 8, 2010, former general manager, Andre De Mol, wrote a memo saying “no overtime, casual labour or any form of extra hours may be worked unless this is requested in advance and authorised by me.”

But Van Der Breggen said De Mol’s memo had since been overruled by the incumbent Lesotho Sun executive management.

“We do pay our workers overtime,” he said.

De Mol had warned management at the hotel that they would be responsible in future for payment of staff that did not have his authorisation to work overtime.

“I will also consider failure to comply with this as insubordination,” he said.

Mofolo said Lesotho Sun had two classes of employees: permanent core employees and permanent scheduled employees.

“These are all permanent,” he said. “The difference is that they work for a minimum amount of hours and a maximum amount of hours. Minimum is 110 hours – whether this person worked or not, they will get their pay over a month period. Maximum is 195 hours over a month period.”

Mofolo said Lesotho Sun followed this model so that there is correlation between productivity and business level.

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