12 Feb 2025

 The Minister of Higher Education, Mr Prince Maele has clarified the number of dismissed employees at Kanye Seventh Day Adventist College of Nursing.
Answering a question in Parliament,   he said the official number as provided by the college was 33 not 43.
The number included  five nurse lecturers, one Information Technology lecturer, nine cleaners, 10 catering staff, one groundsman, two maintenance officers, four support staff and one laundryman.
To date, he said the ministry had not formally engaged on the matter of the dismissed employees highlighting that the dismissals in question could have occurred as a result of employer-employee working conditions and employment contracts which were private arrangements at the time.
Minister Maele also said the dismissal occurred at the time  when the college was operating independently from government support and the matter was managed privately between the institution and its management.
“I am therefore unable at this point to definitively state how the dismissed employees could be assisted since the matter is still on going, as the affected former employees have filed a case with the industrial court mediation on September 20, 2024,” he said.
He said Kanye Seventh Day Adventist College of Nursing received financial assistance from government with a total budget of P24 million which is disbursed on a quarterly basis at P6 million.
The disbursement process, he said was usually initiated by the college submitting a formal request, accompanied by all the necessary supporting documents such as financial statements.
The documents were requested to substantiate the request and ensure accountability for the utilisation of public funds provided to the institution.
Kanye East MP, Mr Prince Mosanana had wanted to know if the minister was aware of the 43 nurses dismissed following their payment demands for the work done at the college and how former employees were assisted.
MP Mosanana further wanted the minister to update Parliament on whether there was any financial assistance given to Kanye Seventh Day Adventist College of Nursing. ENDS