'Team outing became sex orgy'
2004-11-10 11:59
Port Elizabeth - An expensive team-building trip for employees of the Coega development corporation to the Fish River Sun hotel allegedly turned into an orgy of sex and booze.
More than one reliable source confirmed that at least six married managers were involved in steaming sex scenes with colleagues next to the pool of this luxury casino hotel near Port Alfred on Thursday night.
Earlier the same evening the booze bill had already busted the department's booze budget for the trip.
The trip cost the CDC exactly R87 947.50, and that while the Eastern Cape government demanded severe cuts because of a R2bn deficit.
Eastern Cape financial MEC Andre de Wet expressed shock about the employees' alleged misbehaviour.
"This is the first word I hear about it. I will find out exactly what happened and demand an explanation from the CDC."
CDC spokesperson Vuyelwa Qinga-Vika confirmed on Monday that staff that attended the team-building exercise were sworn to secrecy at a meeting.
Vika said staff was requested to report incidents of misbehaviour so that these could be investigated.
He said it was also made clear that the CDC condemned such behaviour, and that nobody may talk to the media. Employees who talked to the media were threatened with dismissal.
One of the officials, who talked to Die Burger before the ban was imposed, said matters got out of hand when some of the employees decided after dinner to have a wild party at the hotel's pool.
They apparently made a racket, singing and dancing.
"As far as I know, it all started when one employee took off her clothes and dived into the pool. Others followed, and they later had sex around the pool."
The aim of the trip, which excluded spouses, was to address racial diversity issues and for that reason only employees went along.
About 120 employees left the CDC headquarters in Humewood for the Fish River Sun on Thursday morning and returned late on Friday afternoon.
A manager at the Fish River Sun hotel said no complaints of boisterousness had been lodged.
He said: "What I do know, is that security had to remove a lot of empty bottles and glasses from the pool area."