STRESSED: Simon Bogacu
Worker commits suicide over salary reductions
A frustrated hospital worker committed suicide when repeated questions over a prolonged salary reduction went unanswered.
Impoverished Simon Bogacu, 57, a security guard at Selebi-Phikwe hospital had fought a battle with his supervisors since May 2010 after an unexplained pay cut left him unable to support his wife and five children.
In a suicide note he named those he held responsible for his suffering, blaming them for his drastic action.
When Simon Bogacu’s decomposing body was found last Sunday, a suicide note explained that he had hung himself because no action had been taken over a pay cut dating back to May 2010.
For the last 19 months the 57-year-old government worker had apparently been living on P129 a month after deductions of P2800 were repeatedly taken from his salary.
According to the note found in his pocket he had long complained about the deductions, and each month he was promised that the situation would be corrected but nothing happened. He mentioned three supervisors by name, accusing them of ill treatment and claiming that they had not taken his case seriously.
According to one of his colleagues, Simon was last seen on Friday morning coming out of his supervisor’s office crying. “He looked troubled, but did not stop to talk to anyone. The problem is that those officers are much younger than us, but the way they talk to us is not good. They use abusive language,’’ the colleague said.
Simon had not been involved in the industrial workers work strike, and had worked overtime in a bid to increase his earnings, but even that had not been reflected in his wages.
He instructed his family to take his money from his immediate boss, and in a note said, “They are saying my case will only be heard next year January 2012. Please collect my money that dates back to May 2010. My problem is with the officers.”
Simon’s distraught wife Mpho Bogacu in mourning at the family home said: “Life has been tough these last months since my husband had no money. We have five children and they are not working so living on a paltry salary was weighing heavily on us.
“Simon told me once about the payments issue, but when it continued he started to withdraw and just kept quiet.”
The last time the family saw their father was on a Friday when he went for work but never returned. ”We got worried when he did not return on Saturday and Sunday. We searched for him until the police came and told us that his decomposed remains were found at in the bushes by the industrial area,” Mpho said.
When The Voice visited the hospital to talk to the hospital manager Abedinico Mafhoko, angry industrial workers were queuing outside his office,
WIDOWED: Mpho Bogacu
‘”These guys are frustrating us. I have not been paid for six months and was not even on strike. They are refusing to pay us overtime. If they don’t pay me I might also take Simon’s way,’’ said a lady who identified herself as Ntshesebe.
Most workers were seen coming out of the office hurling insults and complaining that their superiors were mistreating them.
The hospital manager referred enquires over the incident to the Public Relations Officer Obakeng Sokube, who could only confirm the death.
‘’Yes one of our colleagues committed suicide, but we don’t know the motive. The people you are saying are mentioned in the suicide notes are employees here,’’ he said.
Sokube said that further information could be sourced from hospital superintendent Dr Sharma, who was not available in his office to comment at the time of going to press.
Simon was buried on Wednesday in Selebi-Phikwe.
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R.I.P brother.. working for the government is frastrating sometimes especially if you u in lower ranks.. supervisors dont care about our welfare.I feel for the family they needed you to be strong in times like this.. now they have a mountain to climb.. God takes care of everything.. go ta siama..
aaaah nako e nngwe botshelo ke maragaraga
Your supervisors ga bana pelo,how can you survive ka cliba every month,ke bosetlhogo fela,May your soul rest in peace my brother,modimo o mogolo o itse tsotlhe.
hey!we are in hell already,y bone bo boss bao ba sa tseye dat 129 ba ya go reka tse di hlokegang ko malapeng a bone ba tla ba lemoga bokete jwa go tshela ka 129?nxah!!!!!ryt now bana ba bangwe ba lahlegetswe ke papa,mme o lahlegetswe ke monna ka baka la bosuhla ja bone.RIP Daddy,Modimo o tla sala le ba lelapa.
Something is not right- why are they reducing the salary without giving the person an explanation???
hope they will retrieve the monies owed to the deceased and give it to the family
The article states
“Simon was last seen on Friday morning coming out of his supervisor’s office crying. “He looked troubled, but did not stop to talk to anyone. The problem is that those officers are much younger than us, but the way they talk to us is not good. They use abusive language,’’ the colleague said.”
THIS IS NOT RIGHT AT ALL – WHY USE ABUSIVE LANGUAGE BECAUSE ONE IS A SUPERVISORR???? No one should FRUSTRATE ANYONE EVEN IF YOU ARE IN THE LOWER RANKS
“These guys are frustrating us. I have not been paid for six months and was not even on strike. They are refusing to pay us overtime. If they don’t pay me I might also take Simon’s way,’’ said a lady who identified herself as Ntshesebe”
Is there any legal assistance for people who find themselves facing this problem?
A SUPERVISOR should know how to SUPERVISE and not see themselves as SUPERIOR to others
“he was promised that the situation would be corrected but nothing happened. ”
These Supervisors better not have been SEEN TO BE CHEATING the deceased with his salary by either pocketing some of the money for themselves
Someone should investigate what is going on by checking the books
R.I.P Simon,bone di boss nnyana ysa teng ba ya go felela kae?ba tala fela ka di office but thet dnt deliver siessssssssssss
@Izzy,corrections R.I.P Simon,di bossnyana tsa teng bone ba ya go felela kae? ba nna fela mo di office but they dnt deliver……..siessssssssssssssss
Waitse kgang e e botlhoko tota.Batho ba office eo ba tshwanetse ba tlhotlhomisiwe thata,ba bolele gore se se diileng madi a motho go fitlhela a ipolayaa ke eng.Go supa fela gore ba ba mo officing bao,ga ba ise ba ise kgang eo ko bagolwaneng ba bone,ba nnetse go kgakgafalela ba babereki ba bangwe ka bone ba a duelwa.A go dirwe sengwe pele batho ba ipolaya ba le bantsi.RIP!
Ke mo robatsa ka pina ya “Sefefo Sa Moya” go tswa mo kopelong ya sione. RIP **sad**
May your Soul rest in piece
wats so superior about supervising the industrial klas while ther’s still the whole hospital 2 take care of, dz kind of pple ke ba ba ha ba ba kopanang le madi le dijo setse ba godile they don even no hw 2 tell pple they now hv something on their plates and 2 dat poor family hold hands coz u got a rough road ahead dat nids cooperation. R.I.P my brada………
Voice Please assist these people
Try making contact with Dr. Sharma
The 3 supervisors seem to be ill treating fellow employees. They should be disciplined or either given their marching orders
By doing this you will be assisting their families too
RIP le fa o ipolaile o sa tlo go fa bosupi kgatlhanong le dintsa tse tsa di supervisor
A salary is and should not be the only thing that we live for. There is the church, our family and loved ones. If you are going to let young fellas bully you to the point where you take a rope to hang yourself, then either you grew up without a father to teach you to stand up for yourself or you just are so irresponsible you take the easy way out. People who kill themselves are guilty before God of manslaughter. They should be buried in graveyard of their own. Just like prisoners. People who pushed them to this are not to blame as there is never any evidence to prove them wrong. Let this be a lesson to all of us that we are not of this world rather of the Lord above.
why didnt he just file a case ko court than suicide. The wife and kids will suffer more.
Raising awareness that Bullying and ill treatment in work places will not be tolerated can assist to some extent. The people that experience this should have somewhere to report it
Simon was probably a very humble person who respected these three bullies as they were supervisors and trusted them to look into the problem why his salary was been reduced but he was betrayed and suffered depression
The PR should also have given the Voice and the Family assurance that the case would be investigated – When the breadwinner passes on the family suffers
So Voice just continue trying to get hold of Dr. Sharma for the sake of those who hare enduring all these hardships
IF Dr. Sharma is not available or unable to make comment find someone else
“Simon had not been involved in the industrial workers work strike, and had worked overtime in a bid to increase his earnings, but even that had not been reflected in his wages.”
This paragraph already tells you that SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT AT ALL
Simon seems to have been a dedicated worker
Work places that ill treat their workers should be NAMED AND SHAMED and reasons given
“When The Voice visited the hospital to talk to the hospital manager Abedinico Mafhoko, angry industrial workers were queuing outside his office,”
This paragraph also tells of the problems being experienced at this hospital
There is
a. A Superintendent
b. A PR
b.Hospital Manager
c. Supervisors
AND NOTHING CAN BE RESOLVED??????
Simon i respect u. U died a poor man but in the eyes of God u died a rich man. Rich in wisdom and faith. Ur supervisor might earn more money but he is as poor as a village mouse. Robala ka kagiso
oh no dats unfair…his superiors mst ansa 4 ol da questions askd
Personally would like to sort these supervisors out
These supervisors need to be educated how to behave towards their fellow workers in a working enviornment
Some of situations need to be address in time.imagen one living with that kind of penny his side was realy touch indeed.those who were to help him they took no acount of the situation because they eat and have sweetdream whereas our fathers are dying of nightmare trying to cover the.shame on them.
Precisely- lack of empathy from these supervisors- no care in the world for the next person except for themselves – very selfish of these supervisors and managers
One wonders if they will ever offer a member of the deceased’s family employment
eish poor man rest in peace man. agggh le wena o bo o ka ipolaela salary deduction u ya penga no muntu yahzi sali a funa hu shona i wl also lyk to leave hm wth thys song “matlhomoleng aka jeso o na lenn” ihihihih crying
“These guys are frustrating us. I have not been paid for six months and was not even on strike. They are refusing to pay us overtime. If they don’t pay me I might also take Simon’s way,’’ said a lady who identified herself as Ntshesebe.”
WHO ARE THE GUYS THAT ARE FRUSTRATING THEIR FELLOW WORKERS
Who are these Guys that think they own this HOSPITAL like their own property?? This Hospital falls under a relevant Ministry
If these Guys continue to frustrate their fellow workers they should not be working there
Could be that these guys are trying to create a bad image for others and the hospital
Wonder if these guys made a contribution towards the funeral expenses and the simons family
Someone needs to have a good talk with these guys
May his soul rest in peace,God wil always hve a wy of sortin ths out those guys will be punished.God bless the family.:)
Is there anyone that can assist the family and put their case to the Ministry of Labour
If Simon was still alive he probably would have given his children a better future
The manager refers the enquiry to the PR who in turn says that the Superintendent who is NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME can give further information- i sense alot of PASSING THE BUCK
“Most workers were seen coming out of the office hurling insults and complaining that their superiors were mistreating them.”
If this was me i would deal with the issue ASAP before everything gets out of hand
JAANONG BA PADILE LE BATHOBABA NENG BA SA STRIKER TOTA WORSE THAN USELESS
Go utlwisa botlhoko tota,o bona motsadi a lela,,heish!
Thts so sad,mme gone hu can survive ka P129 thes dais,le modisa okaa go reporta..respect others guys,give them what they deserv………
things are a mess in this gov,i think its high time the media investigate this issue,madi a ga simon o tlaa fitlhela jelwe ke tsone di bossonyana tsa teng,who do they think they are to speak to anyone as they please……….
This should not be the LAST we read of this incident THE FAMILY DESERVE ANSWERS and what will happen to those supervisors
Fingers will be pointing to the Govt.as a whole
But It is these individuals that mess up for everyone. they need to be found out and DISCIPLINED OR releaved of their duties. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch!!!