Hundreds of protesting workers, who were absorbed in a poverty-alleviation programme under the Department of Environmental Affairs, danced and sang freedom songs at the parking lot in front of the Thulamela Municipality's offices last Tuesday.

The group, comprised of former employees who worked in the Indalo Yethu programme, which cleaned the streets and towns in Thulamela, were protesting against what they called unfair dismissal after their contracts were unceremoniously terminated.

The 304 workers were contracted for three years in 2010 and the contract was supposed to have ended in September 2012. The programme, which had 10 projects countrywide, had two in Limpopo: one in Thulamela and the other in Giyani. Thulamela was rated the best-run project nationally.

Still wearing their yellow uniforms, the former employees danced and toyi-toyied most of the day, even though they were not granted permission to march through the town of Thohoyandou. “We are here to voice our dissatisfaction at the way things are being done here at the municipality,” the workers said.

According to Nditsheni Budeli, one of the leaders, the workers who started in the “Keep town clean” programme in 2010 were summarily dismissed on January 2 while they were working. “They told one of the workers to go around the town to tell us that we should go home because our contract had ended,” said Budeli.

He said the experience has shattered their dreams since they thought they would be absorbed as permanent staff of the municipality. He added that the municipality is said to have 501 vacant posts and they hoped they would be absorbed. “So far, 38 posts were advertised in the newspapers prior to our dismissal. We have a feeling that the leaders of the municipality have their own people who will fill the posts,” said Budeli.

The programme started after the municipality was given an amount of R41million by the environmental affairs department.

Budeli said their demand was that they should be absorbed as permanent staff since they had experience of having worked for 14 months to keep the town clean.

Thulamela Municipality Spokesperson Ndwamato Tshiila dismissed the workers’ allegation that they were told of their dismissal while at work.

He said their contract with Indalo Yethu ended on 31 September last year and the municipality allowed them to work until the end of the year, giving them a further three-month contract. He said it would not be possible to absorb them.