- City Power employees have been accused of nepotism and selling 200 vacant posts.
- A group of unemployed people blockaded the main entrance of City Power offices in Booysens demanding employment.
- They closed the gates leaving workers on the streets.
Scores of City Power employees were left stranded on Monday morning when a group of protesters denied them access to the building.
Workers stood next to their vehicles outside their offices in Booysens, Johannesburg.
A group of unemployed demonstrators went to the premises demanding employment.
They alleged that the electricity entity had failed to employ them as promised.
They claimed that they were part of scores of people who had applied for 200 Trade Assistants positions advertised.
However, they also alleged that the entity employed people who didn't apply.
Protesters claimed that some candidates paid R3 500 each to skip the queue and secure employment.
A woman who refused to be identified said she was part of those who applied and wrote assessment tests on 12 June.
Posts were advertised on 26 May and closed on 2 June.
The woman said they were shocked to learn later that City Power had "employed" people who didn't apply.
Ncumisa Ndumdum said they barricaded the area and seeking City Power to employ them.
"There are people who solicited R3 500 from us to secure employment. Corruption must end, and all those who paid monies must be dismissed.
City Power has been given seven days to respond to protesters' demands.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena confirmed they advertised 200 Trade Assistants' posts in May.
About 9 000 CVs received
Mangena said about 9 000 applications were received, and only those who met the requirements wrote the assessment tests.
"From their assessments, only the successful were selected and appointed. The need for new 200 Trade Assistants came after we promoted 100 Trade Assistants into electricians to improve service delivery and ensuring more City Power employees and not contractors respond to outages and operate our network.
"After 100 vacant positions left by the promotions we made, we decided to add another 100 to ensure every electrician is paired with a Trade Assistant," Mangena said.
Mangena added that some of the protesters were employees of contractors linked to City Power.
"They are of the view that we shouldn't have advertised the posts but absorb them since they are already working for City Power, albeit indirectly. We indicated to them that it is impossible and unlawful because we still have contractors working for us, and we can't poach their employees," said Mangena.
City Power is probing allegations of nepotism.