RISE Mzansi picketed outside the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on Tuesday and delivered a memorandum on the plight of young job seekers who face sextortion and bribery when trying to secure jobs.
According to RISE Mzansi caucus, there is a scourge for job seekers, who fall victim to sextortion (sex-for-jobs) and bribery to get a job, particularly in the retail and mining industries.
RISE Mzansi chose to picket at the JSE in Sandton because sextortion and bribery for jobs are practised within some JSE-listed companies.
Job scarcity is common in the country and those within big companies have subjected job seekers to bribery and sextortion to acquire employment.
“The perpetrators are shady characters, who wield power over vulnerable and desperate job seekers wanting the dignity of a job to better their lives and those of their families and communities. Yet, in the process of empowering themselves, they are made to pay financially and with their bodies,” said leader Songezo Zibi.
He demanded that various stakeholders such as the JSE, National Assembly, South African Local Government Association (Salga) and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, acknowledge and address the proposed matter to stabilise and deter future cases of exploitation, including the safety of job seekers.
The party said no regulation protects job seekers from sextortion and other unethical conduct from recruiters, hence, all public sector stakeholders must partner and combat this growing trend.
“We are calling for JSE-listed companies, as well as the public sector, to identify and acknowledge that these cash and sex-for-jobs practices exist and to act to root them out; and provide channels, which job seekers can report them when they occur,” said Zibi.
The memorandum demands for sextortion to be identified as gender-based violence in the workplace, for a clear and visible disclaimer noting that paying to get a job is an unethical practice by recruiters.
Moreover, it emphasised that a partnership between the government and private sector should commit to investigating existing cases of sextortion and bribes in enlisted companies.
“The government must be proactive in fact-finding through anonymous questionnaires or tip-off boxes. This will root out the syndicate of labour brokers and shady recruiters to be able to report them to the police for further investigation,” said Zibi.
As for the memorandum, it further demanded that Salga adopt a zero-tolerance approach to sextortion and bribes and root out criminals in local councils. Also, the government and private sector need to cobble and render extensive education for job seekers when they are searching for employment or seeking a promotion.
Zibi said ethical leadership from new leaders will build a successful, equal and safe nation.
Pheliswa Mayekiso, the Head of Group Communications and Stakeholder Relations at the JSE, responded to The Star’s sister publication, Business Report, regarding RISE Mzansi’s grievances.
He said: “The JSE is committed to ethical business practices that prioritise transparency and integrity. Upon receiving the memorandum, the JSE will carefully assess its contents and subsequently formulate a most suitable response to Mzansi Rise.”
The star