Poor ventilation, black dust particles from air conditioners, broken toilets and leaking ceilings are just some of the conditions workers at Batho Pele House, which houses the department of public service and administration’s (DPSA) Pretoria headquarters, allege to face daily.
The DPSA, the very department tasked with setting rules and guidelines for the public service to ensure efficiency, is itself operating in what staff describe as crumbling and unsafe conditions.
A worker, who spoke to Sunday Times on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said: “The centre is not holding. Employees have been working from home and on rotation since June this year because Batho Pele House is unsafe.”
He said though the building is billed as a “green building”, staff say it is anything but. Ventilation is poor, the air conditioning system is broken and coated with black particles on almost every floor and carpets have not been cleaned in years, raising serious health concerns.
“We have been complaining about the quality of oxygen in the building. Because it is a green building, it does not have windows. There’s a terrible smell from the toilets, the building leaks when it rains, and corridors are often flooded,” the worker said.
Other issues include a roller door that has been out of service since last year and the motor vehicle entrance being closed for more than six months. Employees and visitors are forced to use the exit gate as an entrance, a direct violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Some areas, including the basement, remain in darkness due to faulty lighting.
Union intervention
On July 18, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) formally raised concerns with the department. It also requested that a draft remote working policy be tabled, stressing the need to protect workers’ rights in light of the deteriorating conditions.
Nehawu national spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi confirmed that members had repeatedly raised safety and health concerns.
“For weeks, if not months, we’ve been inundated with complaints about unsafe and unhealthy conditions at Batho Pele House. These include inadequate ventilation, structural risks and blatant violations of the OHS Act,” he said.
Nkolonzi accused management of indifference.
“The department has shown no commitment to workers’ welfare. The working conditions pose a real risk to our members. A petition has already been served and Nehawu will not wait indefinitely for action,” he said.
Labour inspectors step in
An internal email dated October 1, leaked to Sunday Times, acknowledged that conditions had deteriorated since the expiry of the Broll Consortium’s maintenance contract in December 2024. Responsibility for daily repairs fell to the department of public works and infrastructure (DPWI).
According to the communication, while the DPWI had addressed some electricity, plumbing and elevator issues, major safety concerns persisted.
Last week, the department of labour conducted an unannounced inspection and issued several prohibition notices over safety violations. Structural engineers have since been called in to assess these.
The DPSA told staff they would continue working remotely until all issues flagged by labour were resolved.
DPSA spokesperson Moses Mushi said the building belongs to public works and that the department is merely a tenant.
Questions sent to public works were acknowledged but not answered by the deadline. The department’s response will be added once it is received.
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