E-mails reveal column at centre of top officials’ spat
ONE of the reasons that fuelled an ongoing “cold war” between two senior officials at Premier Phumulo Masualle’s office is the alleged failure, for months, by one of them to write the first citizen’s column in the provincial government publication, Masincokole,
The two officials – general manager (GM) provincial communications Mandisa Titi and provincial government spokesman Sonwabo Mbananga are at the centre of the spat.
They had been at each other’s throats for sometime, resulting in an ugly public spat in Lusikisiki on August 25 where they allegedly hurled insults at each other.
The Daily Dispatch can today reveal that just a few weeks before the public outburst in Lusikisiki, Titi wrote to her bosses raising concerns about Mbananga’s alleged failure to timeously provide Masualle’s Masincokole column.
In her electronic correspondence dated July 28 and seen by the Dispatch, Titi informed director-general (DG) Marion Mbina-Mthembu and deputy DG Mahlubandile Qwase that the last column they received from Mbananga, was in February.
She said Mbananga’s alleged failure to provide the premier’s column was of great concern as it was compromising the
“We are now raising this because the waiting on the government publication. promised work, which ends up not arriving, has cost us dearly in time and reputation,” wrote Titi. “We would appreciate being guided on how to manage this situation.”
Mbananga and Masualle’s political staff, special adviser Sithembele Mase and chief of staff Nandi Sikutshwa, were also copied in the leaked correspondence, which Mbananga laughed off before labelling Titi’s actions as an “irritating distraction”.
In his brief reply via e-mail, Mbananga wrote: “Uyandihlekisa [You make me laugh] Mandisa Titi. I find your theatrics to be an irritating distraction but quite a bore”.
In the wake of the Lusikisiki incident, last month, Titi and Mbananga were served with letters asking them to provide reasons why they should not be placed on suspension over their public spat.
However, they are both still in office and it is not clear how far are Mbina-Mthembu’s plans to discipline them for their alleged public “misconduct”.
Neither Mbina-Mthembu nor Qwase could be reached at the time of writing yesterday while Titi and Mbananga have both been barred by MbinaMthembu from publicly commenting on their infighting. —