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IMPACT |
More than one Accident |
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| On a sunny day in November 1999, Johnson Mapeyi and his two colleagues set off in the work bakkie for Vredenburg where they went to collect two microbuses. On the way back to Cape Town, Johnson's vehicle burst a tyre. "We were driving on a gravel road. Suddenly the vehicle started swerving. I tried hard to control it, but it turned over." Johnson had injuries to his pelvis and ribs, and was taken to the hospital in Vredenburg. The other drivers informed their company about what had happened. After being treated, Johnson went to the police station to fill in an accident report. They organised for a breakdown service to tow the microbus to Cape Town. On the following Monday Johnson went to hospital for X-rays, where the doctor booked him off work for almost a month. Twenty days after the accident he returned to work. He was immediately given a letter telling him he was due to be retrenched the day before Christmas. He had worked for the company for one and a half years. Other drivers had received letters of retrenchment in early October, but Johnson had not been given one. Now he was the only person to be laid off at the end of the year. On 28 December he went to collect his money and ask for a letter of reference. He also asked for his retrenchment package. He needed his accident reports so that he could claim workman's compensation for his injuries and loss of income. He didn't receive any severance pay, and without the proper documentation he couldn't register a workman's compensation claim. He was referred to QPC and in no time, the accident reports were faxed through both from Vredenburg and his ex-employer. Now his claim can be processed. He expects payment any day now. His last word on the matter — "I didn't know it would be so quick!" |
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