Empty promises and shattered dreams

JOHANNESBURG - Imagine being offered a job by the company of your dreams doing the kind of work that is on the cutting edge of technology and making a real difference to the nation. It is any graduate’s dream come true to be interviewed by a company that assures you that it will handle all the work permit requirements including meeting the full costs of the permit.


   

 

Benson, a Zimbabwean physics graduate had a successful interview and a
subsequent offer letter for an exciting position in nuclear physics in
April this year. He resigned from his position at the technology
company in anticipation of his new permit. This is when his nightmare
began.

The company stalled in processing his paperwork and months went by. He
called them on a weekly basis and was told a different story every
time. Initially they were dealing with their own bureaucratic
processes, then they had to carry out a full comprehensive reference
check, after which they claimed to be ready to submit his paperwork.

Another month passed and Benson had used up all his savings.
Fortunately, having proven himself to be a valuable asset to his
previous company, they were only too happy to take him back while he
awaited news from the new organisation.

The HR manager responsible for his recruitment told him that as nuclear
physics was a highly specialised field and he would have access to
sensitive information of significance to national security the National
Intelligence Agency (NIA) would be taking over the recruitment process.
This took several weeks and by this point Benson was losing hope.

“I thought to myself, if anything this was a reflection of extreme
disorganisation on the part of the company as these are issues which
should have been considered before offering the position to me as a
foreigner. I just lost confidence in the company and their fitness as
an employer,” said Benson.

He withdrew his candidacy for the position and accepted a promotion in the technology company.

Many people have been through the same experience as Benson and it’s
not just Zimbabweans either. A Kenyan graduate sued the same company
that offered Benson a job through the CCMA and won damages for the
costs she had incurred in accommodating herself while they delayed in
processing her papers.

We at Working For Zimbabwe encourage people to ensure that they get
legal advice if they find themselves in such situations as there is
recourse that can be obtained through the law.

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