Emfuleni's job raffle causes quite a stir
Image: File
IN A controversial approach to reduce unemployment, Emfuleni Municipality recently organised a job raffle, which it claims provides equal opportunity. However, this initiative has led to public outcry over issues of fairness and transparency.
The selection process was held at the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC), where hundreds of hopeful job seekers lined up in queues so long they resembled an election day, all anxiously waiting to hear if their names would be drawn in the lottery-style selection process. A boy was asked to pick out the lucky names.
The job raffle, intended to fill just 100 general worker positions for residents of Wards 36 and 37, follows the Gauteng Department of Transport's recent allocation of R138 million to fast-track the long-overdue completion of the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC).
Watch the video here: https://rumble.com/v6wfmqg-emfulenis-job-raffle-are-equal-opportunities-for-employment-truly-fair.html
Many residents expressed frustration over the unexpected shift in the application process, explaining that they were originally told to hand in their CVs and qualifications sealed in envelopes at the Sebokeng DLTC.
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A resident from Zone 7, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared her deep frustration and disappointment with how the job raffle was handled. She explained that when news of the general worker positions broke, she followed every instruction carefully, submitting her CV in a brown envelope along with certified copies of her qualifications, just as required. She used what little money she had to make copies, get them certified, and purchase an envelope, hopeful that her dedication and qualifications would improve her chances of being selected.
'I was excited and hopeful. As a mother of three, it's hard watching your children grow up without the stability of a steady income. I thought this was finally my chance,' she said, her voice breaking. 'But it felt like all that effort was wasted. We were later told to just write our names on a piece of paper and drop it in a box, like a lucky draw. It was heartbreaking. I had hoped that my qualifications and my willingness to work would count for something.'
She also questioned the fairness of the selection process, expressing frustration that some of the individuals chosen appeared unfit, uninterested, or too old to perform the required duties.
Pearl also voiced concerns about gender inequality in the selection process, stating that the outcome appeared to heavily favour men. She was particularly frustrated by the method used, where the young boy was tasked with drawing names from a box and handing them to the councillors, who then called them out, raising questions about transparency and fairness.
'Out of the 100 selected candidates, only 23 were females, while the remaining 77 were males. This doesn't reflect a fair or balanced opportunity for women, especially when many of us are equally qualified and just as desperate for work,' she added.
Tshepang Motaung, a resident of Ward 36 and a struggling father of five, also echoed Pearl's concerns. He expressed deep disappointment with the outcome of the job raffle, saying that despite having multiple qualifications and years of work experience, he was still overlooked.
Finance MMC and Ward 37 Councillor Hassan Mako told The Star that the raffle process was conducted transparently and fairly, ensuring inclusivity for all community members.
Mako explained that he and Ward 36 Councillor Mpho Kodisang jointly decided the job raffle was the fairest approach, aiming to prevent any allegations of interference in the recruitment process.
'The raffle process was a decision agreed upon by both Councillor Kodisang from Ward 36 and me, Councillor Mako from Ward 37. We believe it was a transparent approach for the community. As councillors, we chose not to handle any CVs or be involved in the recruitment beyond the raffle itself. I firmly believe the process was fair, transparent, and inclusive of all community members.'
He refuted claims made by *Pearl regarding gender inequality in the selection process, stating that more women than men were selected through the raffle.
'It is not true that there are gender issues. The majority of the people who came through the raffle were women, so that thing is a miss,' he said.
Mako dismissed concerns about qualifications, stating that general labour roles typically don't require academic credentials or interviews, unless the job involves specific safety risks.
'Issues of educational experience. In general, labour, I don't think that counts, unless we need a risk…This is how we felt that things could be done, as far as I'm concerned, the community is happy. General labourers do not even have to go for interviews,' he added.
He also said that he had not received any complaints from residents about the job raffle process, adding that any concerns could be addressed through the appropriate channels.
Kingsol Chabalala, the DA's constituency head for Emfuleni North, echoed Mako's views, stating that the job raffle was a transparent process: 'Emfuleni has long been plagued by nepotism, with political leaders often appointing their relatives and friends. This system helps prevent that,' Chabalala said.
However, Chabalala added: 'While I agree with the process, I don't believe pensioners should be considered when young people are still struggling to find work,' he said.
He added that although age should not completely disqualify someone, pensioners already receive government social grants and should not take up job opportunities meant to empower the youth.
While Emfuleni's job raffle was a first for the municipality, it's not the first time this method has caused tension.
In August 2024, a similar incident in Bloemhof, North West, turned chaotic when an ANC ward councillor, Willie Adams, was attacked by angry community members. The councillor had been overseeing a job raffle to select just 10 workers for a road maintenance project.
Accusations of favouritism and unfair practices led to outrage, with knife-wielding residents storming the stadium and forcing Adams to flee for his life.
*Pearl is a created name to hide the identity of our source.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za

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The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Emfuleni's job raffle causes quite a stir
IN A controversial approach to reduce unemployment, Emfuleni Municipality recently organised a job raffle, which it claims provides equal opportunity. However, this initiative has led to public outcry over issues of fairness and transparency. The selection process was held at the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC), where hundreds of hopeful job seekers lined up in queues so long they resembled an election day, all anxiously waiting to hear if their names would be drawn in the lottery-style selection process. A boy was asked to pick out the lucky names. The job raffle, intended to fill just 100 general worker positions for residents of Wards 36 and 37, follows the Gauteng Department of Transport's recent allocation of R138 million to fast-track the long-overdue completion of the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC). Watch the video here: Many residents expressed frustration over the unexpected shift in the application process, explaining that they were originally told to hand in their CVs and qualifications sealed in envelopes at the Sebokeng DLTC. A resident from Zone 7, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared her deep frustration and disappointment with how the job raffle was handled. She explained that when news of the general worker positions broke, she followed every instruction carefully, submitting her CV in a brown envelope along with certified copies of her qualifications, just as required. She used what little money she had to make copies, get them certified, and purchase an envelope, hopeful that her dedication and qualifications would improve her chances of being selected. 'I was excited and hopeful. As a mother of three, it's hard watching your children grow up without the stability of a steady income. I thought this was finally my chance,' she said, her voice breaking. 'But it felt like all that effort was wasted. We were later told to just write our names on a piece of paper and drop it in a box, like a lucky draw. It was heartbreaking. I had hoped that my qualifications and my willingness to work would count for something.' She also questioned the fairness of the selection process, expressing frustration that some of the individuals chosen appeared unfit, uninterested, or too old to perform the required duties. Pearl also voiced concerns about gender inequality in the selection process, stating that the outcome appeared to heavily favour men. She was particularly frustrated by the method used, where the young boy was tasked with drawing names from a box and handing them to the councillors, who then called them out, raising questions about transparency and fairness. 'Out of the 100 selected candidates, only 23 were females, while the remaining 77 were males. This doesn't reflect a fair or balanced opportunity for women, especially when many of us are equally qualified and just as desperate for work,' she added. Tshepang Motaung, a resident of Ward 36 and a struggling father of five, also echoed Pearl's concerns. He expressed deep disappointment with the outcome of the job raffle, saying that despite having multiple qualifications and years of work experience, he was still overlooked. Finance MMC and Ward 37 Councillor Hassan Mako told The Star that the raffle process was conducted transparently and fairly, ensuring inclusivity for all community members. Mako explained that he and Ward 36 Councillor Mpho Kodisang jointly decided the job raffle was the fairest approach, aiming to prevent any allegations of interference in the recruitment process. 'The raffle process was a decision agreed upon by both Councillor Kodisang from Ward 36 and me, Councillor Mako from Ward 37. We believe it was a transparent approach for the community. As councillors, we chose not to handle any CVs or be involved in the recruitment beyond the raffle itself. I firmly believe the process was fair, transparent, and inclusive of all community members.' He refuted claims made by *Pearl regarding gender inequality in the selection process, stating that more women than men were selected through the raffle. 'It is not true that there are gender issues. The majority of the people who came through the raffle were women, so that thing is a miss,' he said. Mako dismissed concerns about qualifications, stating that general labour roles typically don't require academic credentials or interviews, unless the job involves specific safety risks. 'Issues of educational experience. In general, labour, I don't think that counts, unless we need a risk…This is how we felt that things could be done, as far as I'm concerned, the community is happy. General labourers do not even have to go for interviews,' he added. He also said that he had not received any complaints from residents about the job raffle process, adding that any concerns could be addressed through the appropriate channels. Kingsol Chabalala, the DA's constituency head for Emfuleni North, echoed Mako's views, stating that the job raffle was a transparent process: 'Emfuleni has long been plagued by nepotism, with political leaders often appointing their relatives and friends. This system helps prevent that,' Chabalala said. However, Chabalala added: 'While I agree with the process, I don't believe pensioners should be considered when young people are still struggling to find work,' he said. He added that although age should not completely disqualify someone, pensioners already receive government social grants and should not take up job opportunities meant to empower the youth. While Emfuleni's job raffle was a first for the municipality, it's not the first time this method has caused tension. In August 2024, a similar incident in Bloemhof, North West, turned chaotic when an ANC ward councillor, Willie Adams, was attacked by angry community members. The councillor had been overseeing a job raffle to select just 10 workers for a road maintenance project. Accusations of favouritism and unfair practices led to outrage, with knife-wielding residents storming the stadium and forcing Adams to flee for his life. *Pearl is a created name to hide the identity of our source. The Star [email protected]

IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Emfuleni's job raffle causes quite a stir
The Emfuleni job raffle, intended to fill just 100 general worker positions for residents of Wards 36 and 37, follows the Gauteng Department of Transport's recent allocation of R138 million to fast-track the long-overdue completion of the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre. The process raises questions about fairness and gender equality. Image: File IN A controversial approach to reduce unemployment, Emfuleni Municipality recently organised a job raffle, which it claims provides equal opportunity. However, this initiative has led to public outcry over issues of fairness and transparency. The selection process was held at the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC), where hundreds of hopeful job seekers lined up in queues so long they resembled an election day, all anxiously waiting to hear if their names would be drawn in the lottery-style selection process. A boy was asked to pick out the lucky names. The job raffle, intended to fill just 100 general worker positions for residents of Wards 36 and 37, follows the Gauteng Department of Transport's recent allocation of R138 million to fast-track the long-overdue completion of the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC). Watch the video here: Many residents expressed frustration over the unexpected shift in the application process, explaining that they were originally told to hand in their CVs and qualifications sealed in envelopes at the Sebokeng DLTC. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading A resident from Zone 7, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared her deep frustration and disappointment with how the job raffle was handled. She explained that when news of the general worker positions broke, she followed every instruction carefully, submitting her CV in a brown envelope along with certified copies of her qualifications, just as required. She used what little money she had to make copies, get them certified, and purchase an envelope, hopeful that her dedication and qualifications would improve her chances of being selected. 'I was excited and hopeful. As a mother of three, it's hard watching your children grow up without the stability of a steady income. I thought this was finally my chance,' she said, her voice breaking. 'But it felt like all that effort was wasted. We were later told to just write our names on a piece of paper and drop it in a box, like a lucky draw. It was heartbreaking. I had hoped that my qualifications and my willingness to work would count for something.' She also questioned the fairness of the selection process, expressing frustration that some of the individuals chosen appeared unfit, uninterested, or too old to perform the required duties. Pearl also voiced concerns about gender inequality in the selection process, stating that the outcome appeared to heavily favour men. She was particularly frustrated by the method used, where the young boy was tasked with drawing names from a box and handing them to the councillors, who then called them out, raising questions about transparency and fairness. 'Out of the 100 selected candidates, only 23 were females, while the remaining 77 were males. This doesn't reflect a fair or balanced opportunity for women, especially when many of us are equally qualified and just as desperate for work,' she added. Tshepang Motaung, a resident of Ward 36 and a struggling father of five, also echoed Pearl's concerns. He expressed deep disappointment with the outcome of the job raffle, saying that despite having multiple qualifications and years of work experience, he was still overlooked. Finance MMC and Ward 37 Councillor Hassan Mako told The Star that the raffle process was conducted transparently and fairly, ensuring inclusivity for all community members. Mako explained that he and Ward 36 Councillor Mpho Kodisang jointly decided the job raffle was the fairest approach, aiming to prevent any allegations of interference in the recruitment process. 'The raffle process was a decision agreed upon by both Councillor Kodisang from Ward 36 and me, Councillor Mako from Ward 37. We believe it was a transparent approach for the community. As councillors, we chose not to handle any CVs or be involved in the recruitment beyond the raffle itself. I firmly believe the process was fair, transparent, and inclusive of all community members.' He refuted claims made by *Pearl regarding gender inequality in the selection process, stating that more women than men were selected through the raffle. 'It is not true that there are gender issues. The majority of the people who came through the raffle were women, so that thing is a miss,' he said. Mako dismissed concerns about qualifications, stating that general labour roles typically don't require academic credentials or interviews, unless the job involves specific safety risks. 'Issues of educational experience. In general, labour, I don't think that counts, unless we need a risk…This is how we felt that things could be done, as far as I'm concerned, the community is happy. General labourers do not even have to go for interviews,' he added. He also said that he had not received any complaints from residents about the job raffle process, adding that any concerns could be addressed through the appropriate channels. Kingsol Chabalala, the DA's constituency head for Emfuleni North, echoed Mako's views, stating that the job raffle was a transparent process: 'Emfuleni has long been plagued by nepotism, with political leaders often appointing their relatives and friends. This system helps prevent that,' Chabalala said. However, Chabalala added: 'While I agree with the process, I don't believe pensioners should be considered when young people are still struggling to find work,' he said. He added that although age should not completely disqualify someone, pensioners already receive government social grants and should not take up job opportunities meant to empower the youth. While Emfuleni's job raffle was a first for the municipality, it's not the first time this method has caused tension. In August 2024, a similar incident in Bloemhof, North West, turned chaotic when an ANC ward councillor, Willie Adams, was attacked by angry community members. The councillor had been overseeing a job raffle to select just 10 workers for a road maintenance project. Accusations of favouritism and unfair practices led to outrage, with knife-wielding residents storming the stadium and forcing Adams to flee for his life. *Pearl is a created name to hide the identity of our source. The Star


The Citizen
13-07-2025
- The Citizen
Treasury warns Emfuleni to pay pension contributions
Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has been identified as one of 39 municipalities in the country that failed to transfer employee pension contributions to the relevant funds. This week, the National Treasury issued a formal warning to Emfuleni, ordering the municipality to pay the outstanding pension fund contributions within seven days or face further consequences. 'In Emfuleni's case, more than R6.5m in pension fund deductions was withheld instead of being paid to the fund,' explained Freedom Front Plus councillor Gerda Senekal. The Treasury also warned Emfuleni to settle its historic debt of R1.7b owed to Rand Water. 'Should Emfuleni fail to comply, the national government may withhold its equitable share for the remainder of the 2025/26 financial year,' the Treasury cautioned. Senekal said the party is not surprised by the tough stance taken by the Treasury. 'Even four years of administration under the Gauteng provincial government brought no improvement,' she said. Eskom and Rand Water have previously seized funds from the municipality's accounts, forcing residents to pay their outstanding water and electricity bills directly to the bulk suppliers. 'It's disgraceful that not only is the municipality failing to provide basic services, but it's now also using staff pension contributions for other purposes,' Senekal added. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!