Sexual harassment policy ‘dysfunctional’
2010-02-16 12:15
Western Cape Premier Helen Zille yesterday admitted that the
province’s policy on dealing with sexual harassment in the office, was
“dysfunctional”.
People appointed as councillors to deal with employees’ concerns
had not been properly trained, employees feared victimisation if they reported
cases, and the policy had not been updated since it was introduced in 1999, said
Zille during a media briefing in the legislature.
Zille’s admission follows recent accusations of sexual harassment
levelled against the province’s flamboyant, Harley Davidson-riding safety and
security MEC Lennit Max.
Max has been accused of sexual harassment a number of times in the
past, the most recent being levelled by 33-year-old Belinda Petersen, who made
headlines last week after telling the media she had sex with Max in 2007 in
exchange for his help as an advocate in a criminal case in which, ironically,
she charged four police officers with sexual harassment.
Petersen’s allegation comes a few months after claims by Max’s
former spokesperson, Julian Jansen, that Max had made sexual advances toward two
other women employed in the provincial legislature.
Jansen was fired last month after an internal disciplinary hearing
found him guilty of neglecting his duties.
Zille said she met the two women Jansen had mentioned, and they had
both denied that they had been sexually harassed by Max.
Media reports over the weekend suggest the latest drama involving
Petersen started when she wanted Max to employ her in Jansen’s place, failing
which she would tell the newspapers about their sexual relationship.
On Thursday last week, Max asked Zille for special leave, which was
granted.
Zille said the difficulty of establishing the facts relating to the
most recent allegations of sexual harassment showed that a functional system
that enabled the facts to emerge immediately was needed.
She said infringements needed to be dealt with, through due
process, in order to uphold the rights of all involved.
She said while the provincial government has had a sexual
harassment policy for a decade, adopted by the provincial bargaining council
under a DA government in 1999, it had “fallen into disuse”.
“A functional policy is necessary to prevent people making
vexatious and false allegations, to deal with issues immediately and
professionally, to protect all parties and establish the facts as soon as
possible, and to prevent various agendas and extraneous motives coming into
play.”
To resurrect the policy and bring a new focus to the prevention and
policing of sexual harassment in the workplace, Zille said policy was being
reviewed and would be completed by the end of March.
She said the existing department counsellors who manage allegations
and reports of sexual harassment, would receive intensive training before May,
and all new employees would participate in a training course to sensitise them
to sexual harassment.
– West Cape News