We are the lay counsellors in the Free State Department of Health, working tirelessly on contract for over six years with a stagnant salary of R5000. During this time, we have seen our colleagues, the community health workers, being absorbed into permanent positions despite not possessing matric certificates and yet earning higher salaries than us, approximately R6000 or more. As lay counsellors, we possess matric certificates and fulfill similar roles in the healthcare system, yet we remain underappreciated and financially marginalized.

We dedicate ourselves to vital work, ensuring the adherence to treatment, monitoring viral loads,drastic Increase in National Testing Rates,destigmatising HIV and TB in Communities and working towards diminishing the stigma associated with healthcare challenges in our communities. Our contribution is crucial to the success of the healthcare system in the Free State, yet our efforts are met with inadequate compensation and a lack of benefits that are afforded to others with similar responsibilities.

While we understand that the absorption process of community health workers was necessary to improve healthcare services, it is unfair and unjust for the lay counsellors to be left out of this process, especially when labor laws and equity principles appear not to have been fully adhered to. It is both demoralizing and discouraging to be continuously overlooked while contributing significantly to the community's health and well-being.

We call upon the Free State Department of Health and relevant labor authorities to rectify these disparities and to recognize the critical role we play. Our call is simple: absorb the lay counsellors into permanent positions, just as community health workers were. Ensure that lay counsellors receive fair wages and benefits commensurate with our qualifications and contributions.We, the undersigned contract Lay Counselors currently employed at departmentofhealth, submit this formal petition to request urgent intervention regarding our employment status. We are  also petitioning for our absorption into vacant, permanent positions that align with our qualifications and experience

We urge you to take immediate action to address this inequality and to follow labor laws that protect vulnerable employees. Let this petition be the beginning of a fair treatment era for lay counsellors in the Free State. Support our cause for justice and equity by signing this petition. Together, we can push for change that recognizes and values the essential work of lay counsellors in our healthcare system.

• We request a formal response and feedback regarding this matter within 31 business days of submission, by no later than 1st of november 2026