Unfair Employee Treatment by TRANSNET

I have been requested to act on a position by Transnet in a department within its Transnet Engineering (TE) division. I offered my services for this position for 18 months if not more.

The position was officially advertised and I naturally app****. The company has an employment equity preference for females and this position was advertised as such, granted. No dispute so far, but what proceeded definitely demoralize me as an employee and as an individual.

The interviews were done twice as the first time one of the panel members was found to be related to one of the female candidates.

After the interviews had been conducted and some time went by I was then requested to come in and sign consent forms giving Transnet permission to do background checks on me i.e. qualifications, ******** records, etc. Although this is not a confirmation that I am being appointed it should be noted that this process is a paid for process that is usually conducted for candidates that are being recommended for positions.

One of the HR practitioners had been away on maternity leave and upon her return realised, in her own admission, that there was a consent form that they have missed to submit to me to sign. She sent the form and I signed. Another one was sent about a week or two later for my signature, another form that had been forgotten by HR.

While all of this was going on I was also told to go for a further assessment, which the company schedules for recommended candidates, not to be confused with second interviews. The assessment, based on a hypothetical scenario to judge how one would run a company, was conducted and the results given about a month later. This is after a constant follow up with a none forthcoming HR.

At this stage the matter is to be presented to the local Employment Equity Committee with my case being the proposed case. The case was then presented and granted for the next stage of approval and finalization.

After having gone through all these processes, I got to learn about a sudden change of events through an internal communication notice like everyone else, that a female candidate has been appointed in the position and I had not even been given a notice of regret, even as I write this no one has approached me to let me know that I have been rejected. As far I naively know my process is still pending.

I have also learnt that the female candidate was appointed from 2 levels below the subject position, she was a level below me. I was just a level below the subject position, which would have been a natural progression/promotion had I been appointed.

Am I entitled to this position? No. Did the company lead me on by taking me through all the precursor process? Yes.

It should be noted that I am not against the upliftment of females and/or any other marginalized entities, but if it comes at a compromised wellbeing and livelihood of others then we are going to have a huge problem in our hands, like we do now.

This has been the closest I have come to an appointment as a male in this company for the last 10 years. This is a company that has been voted Best Employer previously.

I'm disgusted, disgruntled and demoralized by Transnet.