Cartrack offers to pay funeral costs of employee who died at work

Cartrack has offered to pay the funeral expenses of its employee, Gcina Dhladhla, following her death at the company’s offices last week.

The offer was made during a meeting between representatives of the company and members of the Dhladhla family on Wednesday.

The meeting was convened to discuss the circumstances surrounding her death and the way forward as investigations continue.

Story audio is generated using AI The family of a Soweto woman who died inside a toilet cubicle at work say they are expecting to meet with Cartrack on Wednesday in a bid to find answers regarding what led to her death. According to the woman’s aunt, Nomusa Dhladhla, the family intends to take further action following the death of Gcina Dhladhla, 29, who died at her Rosebank workplace after allegedly repeatedly informing her manager she was unwell. “Today [Wednesday], we are going to meet with the company to discuss the way forward regarding my niece’s death. As a family, we have many burning questions that we want to ask Cartrack, and we deserve answers,” said Dhladhla. She said the company had yet to provide the family with any information, and they hoped the meeting would help them understand the circumstances that led to Gcina’s death. Dhladhla added that while the family did not intend to let the matter rest, they were primarily focused on preparing for Gcina’s funeral, scheduled to take place on Saturday. “We just want to focus on laying Gcina to rest. Everything else will follow after that. We are not happy as a family about the way she died.” Cartrack’s director of corporate affairs, Lauren Human, said an official investigation was under way. “A case has been opened with the police to conduct a thorough investigation into both the incident and the circumstances leading up to it,” she said. She said the company’s thoughts were with Gcina’s family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time, and extended its condolences to all those affected by the loss. Human added that in line with the company’s commitment to privacy, dignity and respect for the family, it would not comment further on the circumstances surrounding the matter.“However, once the investigation has been concluded, and with the permission of the family, we will release our findings.” The ANC Youth League is expected to stage a picket outside the company’s offices in Rosebank on Thursday morning. Sowetan

“They have offered to pay for the funeral expenses,” said Gcina’s aunt, Nomusa Dhladhla.

The 29-year-old’s death has attracted public attention after allegations emerged that she had complained of feeling unwell before she later collapsed and died in a toilet cubicle at her workplace.

In a joint statement released after Tuesday’s meeting, both the family and Cartrack described the engagement as emotional but constructive, saying it provided an opportunity to share information, ask questions and gain a better understanding of the events surrounding the tragedy.

Family representative Thamsanqa Mbuli said the meeting had achieved its intended purpose of helping the family obtain clarity on the sequence of events leading up to Dhladhla’s death.

Story audio is generated using AI When call centre agent Gcina Dhladhla collapsed at work, her manager at Cartrack allegedly raised concerns about who would pay for her treatment if she were to be taken to a private hospital just across the road. This is according to Dhladhla’s aunt, Nomusa Dhladhla, who also said an ambulance was not immediately called for her dying niece. Nomusa, who was in Soweto at the time, said she called a private ambulance to go to the offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg, where the company’s first aiders were busy struggling to revive her niece. However, Dhladhla did not make it. She died at work. “I had to call an ambulance from a private hospital because the manager [at Cartrack] went to Rosebank Clinic to inquire about the costs instead of focusing on saving my niece’s life. They were worried about who was going to pay,” said Nomusa. “They [managers at Cartrack] told me they were waiting for an ambulance, but they did not have a reference number. They kept telling me that her pulse was low, but nothing was done to rush her to hospital and save her life.” Nomusa said her niece had submitted two sick notes in the two weeks leading up to her death, citing ill health and extreme fatigue. However, she said she was instructed to continue reporting for duty, adding that Dhladhla had been given warnings after submitting the sick notes. “Nothing was done to rush her to hospital and save her life.” — Nomusa Dhladhla, Gcina’s aunt According to Lauren Human, director of corporate affairs at Cartrack, Dhladhla received immediate assistance from highly trained on-site first responders when the seriousness of her condition became apparent. “Our on-site first responders were equipped with an automatic external defibrillator, and emergency medical services were immediately called to the scene,” she said. Family members say Dhladhla had been emotionally and physically drained for months and frequently complained about her working conditions. According to the family, Dhladhla had repeatedly informed her employer that she was not well but was expected to continue reporting for duty. In one of her final messages to her aunt, Dhladhla wrote: “Personally am feeling drained about Cartrack. Just that I won’t resign because I don’t have any back-up plan. Nangapha am applying akuveli lutho (I also apply, but nothing comes up).” A colleague, who asked to remain anonymous, said Dhladhla was visibly distressed the day before her death. “On Friday, she was on her knees crying, saying, ‘I’m sick, guys, and I’m still scheduled to work on Saturday despite telling them that I’m not doing well,’” the colleague said. “What makes me sad the most is that on Wednesday, around 6.30pm, our team leader called her into the office. I didn’t hear what they were discussing, but as they were talking, I saw her removing her glasses and crying.” Her colleague believes more could have been done to assist Dhladhla. “They [the company] contributed a lot to Gcina’s death. I know we cannot prevent death, but she didn’t deserve to die in a toilet like that. Maybe her family could have rushed her to hospital, and that could have saved her life. Or at least she could have died in the presence of her loved ones instead of alone in a toilet cubicle. Her death was not dignified.” The colleague claimed Dhladhla continued to suffer from severe headaches and exhaustion, but felt pressured to return to work. “She was told that she was acting and that she must stop acting and come to work.” Human said Dhladla had never been denied sick leave. “During the week, Gcina raised sensitive, private and personal challenges affecting her outside of the workplace; those matters were treated with sensitivity and confidentiality by her manager,” she said. However, the colleague alleged that workplace pressures contributed to Dhladhla’s deteriorating condition. “She had an opportunity to be taken to hospital had she collapsed at home. Instead, she died alone in a toilet cubicle after she was refused an opportunity to go and rest,” she said. Sowetan

“We’d like to thank Cartrack management for their co-operation, allowing an organic first discussion that was open and transparent.

“Our intended objective of clarifying the sequence of events leading up to our beloved daughter, sister and colleague passing was achieved. This is one of many other important steps in the healing process for the family,” said Mbuli.

Dhladhla’s sister, Lindiwe, said the engagement had brought her a sense of relief.

“What happened today has given me peace,” she said.

Cartrack South Africa CEO Joshua Victor expressed condolences to the family and reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting all investigations.

“Our colleague was a valued member of our team and this loss has been deeply felt across the organisation.

“We remain deeply committed to supporting the family, co-operating fully with law enforcement and the department of labour, and ensuring that every fact is uncovered and established through the appropriate processes,” said Victor.

Both parties said they are united in wanting the facts surrounding Dhladhla’s death to be fully established through independent investigations. They also appealed to the public to allow those processes to run their course without pre-empting any findings.

Story audio is generated using AI Cartrack, who received a backlash on social media after an employee collapsed and died at work after allegedly complaining of extreme fatigue, says the woman had never been denied sick leave and there was no indication she was unwell when she reported for duty. Gcina Dhladhla died at work after allegedly reporting several times to her employer that she was not well but was asked to report for duty regardless. The 29-year-old woman collapsed and died in a bathroom cubicle after she had allegedly been advised to take headache powders for pain. She was discovered by a colleague after her team leader noticed she had been in the bathroom for an unusually long time. According to Lauren Human, director of corporate affairs at Cartrack, Dhladhla received immediate assistance from highly trained on-site first responders when the seriousness became apparent. “Our on-site first responders were equipped with an automatic external defibrillator and emergency medical services were immediately called to the scene,” she said. Dhladhla had worked for Cartrack as a call centre agent for nearly two years. Her aunt, Nomusa Dhladhla, said she had submitted two sick notes during the two weeks leading up to her death, citing ill health and extreme fatigue. However, the family claimed she was instructed to continue reporting for duty despite her condition. “Gcina was exhausted and emotionally drained. There was no motivation. She was working long hours, including weekends, without adequate rest. She would go to work even when she had a headache,” said Nomusa. “On Monday, she told me she would be given a warning when she returned to work despite reporting sick and providing a doctor’s note. They did, in fact, issue her with a warning.” Nomusa told Sowetan that her niece had been complaining about work conditions since she started working at the company. She alleged that instead of immediately arranging medical assistance for her niece, a manager raised concerns about who would cover the costs of treatment at a Rosebank private clinic. “I had to call an ambulance from a private hospital because the manager went to the clinic to inquire about the costs instead of focusing on saving my niece’s life,” she said. Last year Cartrack came under scrutiny after Sowetan’s sister publication TimesLIVE reported current and former employees said they were banned from using elevators and were forced to take the stairs. Sowetan

Mbuli further urged those supporting the family not to view Cartrack employees as adversaries.

“Cartrack employees are our brothers and sisters as well; let us not see them as enemies,” he said.

In a gesture of goodwill, the family has invited Dhladhla’s managers and colleagues to attend her funeral and celebrate her life alongside them. Cartrack welcomed the invitation and said it was grateful for the opportunity to pay its respects.

The family and the company said they will remain in direct communication as investigations continue, while focusing on honouring Gcina Dhladhla’s memory and supporting those affected by her passing.

Sowetan