Unfair Dismissal of Community Work Programme (CWP) Workers in Matatiele – Request for Help**

**Unfair Dismissal of Community Work Programme (CWP) Workers in Matatiele – Call for Intervention**

We wish to bring urgent attention to the unfair dismissal of several workers employed under the Community Work Programme (CWP) in Matatiele, Eastern Cape.

A number of CWP workers were recently dismissed after being informed that “additional payments” had been detected in their bank accounts. However, these workers were never given a fair opportunity to explain the origin of these payments. No disciplinary hearings were held, and the workers were not given the chance to present their side of the story before the decision to terminate their employment was made.

According to South Africa’s Labour Relations Act, a dismissal must be both **procedurally fair and substantively fair**. This means that an employer must not only have a valid reason for dismissal, but must also follow a fair process. Employees must be informed of the allegations against them and be given an opportunity to respond through a proper disciplinary hearing.

Workers indicate that the alleged rule regarding additional payments was **never clearly communicated to them**, nor was it included in the employment contracts they signed when they joined the programme. As a result, many workers were unaware that such payments could be interpreted as misconduct. Despite this, workers were immediately dismissed without a proper investigation, explanation, or an opportunity to clarify the source of the payments.

The dismissals have had a devastating impact on the affected workers and their families. Many of these individuals rely entirely on their CWP income to support their households. Some are responsible for caring for elderly parents, young children, and even grandchildren. Losing their only source of income without a fair hearing has placed these families under severe financial hardship.

Most of the affected workers are not highly educated and cannot afford legal assistance. As a result, they feel powerless and vulnerable, unsure of how to defend their rights or challenge the decisions made against them.

South African labour laws exist to protect workers from precisely this kind of situation. Every worker has the right to a fair and transparent process before losing their employment.

We therefore call on the relevant authorities — including the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), the Department of Employment and Labour, and organisations that defend workers’ rights — to urgently investigate this matter and assist the affected workers.

These workers are not asking for special treatment. They are simply asking for **fairness, transparency, and the opportunity to defend themselves in accordance with the law**.