By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – The Department of Employment and Labour has temporarily shut down the Free State Department of Education’s Thabo Mofutsanyana District offices at the former QwaQwa Parliament buildings after inspectors uncovered serious non-compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.
The closure, which took effect on Thursday, 16 July, follows repeated inspections that found the department had failed to address long-standing safety concerns despite earlier directives.
When The Guard Newspaper visited the offices on Thursday morning, the premises were deserted, with no employees reporting for duty.
An internal memorandum issued by the Department of Education and signed by the District Director instructed all district officials to work from home from 16 July until further notice, pending communication on alternative working arrangements.
According to the memorandum, labour inspectors had conducted compliance inspections during 2024 and 2025, identifying several occupational health and safety shortcomings and issuing recommendations for corrective action.
However, a follow-up inspection on 14 July found that the department had failed to implement the required remedial measures, resulting in the closure of the offices.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) has welcomed the intervention, describing it as long overdue after years of raising concerns about the deteriorating condition of the building.
The union said it had received numerous complaints from employees and shop stewards regarding hazardous and unhealthy working conditions, prompting it to formally request intervention from the Department of Employment and Labour.
PSA Organiser and Marketing Officer Lynsie Pelser said workers continued to be exposed to unsafe conditions despite previous inspections and recommendations.
“The PSA deeply regrets that matters had to reach this point. The closure will inevitably affect the functioning of the district and the delivery of essential administrative and support services to thousands of employees who rely on the district office,” said Pelser.
She stressed that employee health and safety could not be compromised and urged the Free State Department of Education to urgently rectify all occupational health and safety deficiencies.
“The department must provide suitable alternative working arrangements that ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services while protecting both employees and members of the public,” she said.
The closure is expected to disrupt a range of education support and administrative services across the Thabo Mofutsanyana District until the building is declared compliant with occupational health and safety standards.
Attempts by The Guard Newspaper to obtain comment from both the Department of Employment and Labour and the Free State Department of Education were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
5 Responses
How we wish labour department, The Guard can visit MAP Fire station @mandela park. The situation is dire
Greetings, I think you should also look at their Hr hiring process for the teachers. I got a call from one of their officials to attend an interview in Reahola last year around May, and later on in October and won the post but up to date I haven’t started working yet and when I liaise with the deputy principal of the school she said the district officials are the ones who are too slow to process my documents. I really need that job
Just days before schools open. This is a disaster.
How does the department not comply with recommendations timeously. It doesn’t make any sense.
The department of education must answer to the people, because at the end of the day they exist to serve
The satellite building of the department of education in Bethlehem must also be inspected.
I graduated in 2023 and 3 years later I still have no job. The education hiring system in Qwa2 is as unfit as their building. I go there every 3 months to ask for a job allocation but nothing.