Public works staff face Nkandla music
One official implicated in the Nkandla scandal had entered a plea and the disciplinary process against 11 others was due to start sometime in 2017, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi has told Business Day during an interview. Nxesi said he inherited a department in which the rot came from the top.
One official implicated in the Nkandla scandal had entered a plea and the internal disciplinary process against 11 others was due to start sometime in 2017, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi has told Business Day.
In a wide-ranging interview, Nxesi conceded that he inherited a department in which the rot came from the top and ran deep and a ministry characterised by low morale and leadership instability.
For years, the Department of Public Works has got disclaimers in the auditor-general’s audit outcomes. In 2015-16, Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu gave public works a qualified audit opinion.
The departments of public works, health and education account for more than 30% of budget spending, but their audit outcomes remain poor, according to the auditor-general.
The disciplinary process “could not start because of you guys [the media]. You went to court because you wanted access to the internal disciplinary process. The workers objected because they felt it would be unfair, but we decided to stand outside on that one.
“A judgment came at the end of last year [from the High Court in Pietermaritzburg] that you must have [access] .... The process is going to start. I want to emphasise that it’s not a court thing, it’s still an internal disciplinary process,” said Nxesi.
He added: “That thing started in 2015 when we were charging the officials; one of them has already pleaded.”
To date, the Special Investigating Unit has recommended that 44 criminal cases be opened, 15 civil cases be pursued and 64 disciplinary processes be instituted against department officials. Thirty-one other cases involving public works employees have been finalised and eight officials have been dismissed, while 92 cases are pending or outstanding.
Nxesi cited a lack of critical skills and uncooperative senior officials for the mess. “When we arrived about three years ago, we were told we only had one qualified electrical engineer.
“There was resistance and even arrogance underlined by dismissiveness. The general attitude was Usithole sila, uzosi shiya sila [You found us here, you’re going to leave us here]. Such resistance tends to come from the top,” said Nxesi.
“People were demoralised by the lack of leadership. In two to three years, the department had eight directors-general — acting and permanent. There was no stability at the top. So if there was no stability and there was rot at the top, who had to deal with that?” he asked.
He said workers had covered their tracks, “so you have to dig deep and for that, we have been relying” on the Special Investigating Unit.
“When people ask why these things [cases] are not moving, I tell them I must not even come close because once they are finalised, those implicated must appeal to me,” Nxesi said.