MPLs reject teams’ ‘inadequate’ response
Department battles to deal with irregular appointments
A high-ranking delegation from the provincial department of co-operative government & traditional affairs was sent packing on Thursday by Bhisho MPLs after it failed to say what it had done about the recommendations in a damning Public Service Commission report.
Head of department Gabisile Gumbi-Masilela, with her team and a team from the office of the premier, appeared before the joint committee of the two departments.
They were expected to provide news of progress on implementation of the PSC Commission report on irregular appointments at the department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs.
However, the committee, chaired by ANC veteran Sicelo Gqobana, was unhappy with the report and sent Masilela and the teams away with orders to provide more details in their report.
The PSC report relates to an investigation by the commission on allegations by the National Health Education & Allied Workers Union that there had been seven irregular appointments at the department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs.
It is alleged that one of the department’s deputy directorgenerals was irregularly appointed as acting head of department in 2016.
Nehawu claimed that the deputy DG, in turn, appointed her “cronies” to acting positions, and that one official was irregularly seconded to an acting general manager position.
In its final report, the PSC dismissed some of the allegations but upheld others.
It found that the acting head of department had been irregularly appointed as she did not meet the requirements of the post. This official’s case is now at the Labour Court for official review.
One of the accused pleaded guilty to all charges against him and he was found guilty of misconduct. He was suspended for three months and went back to work after that period. This was criticised by the MPLs.
Gqobana fired the first salvo, telling the officials: “By now we should have a very clear flow of implementation of what the PSC has recommended. Please go home and clear things up for us with straight answers.”
He said that co-operative governance’s legal team was also not assisting in providing legal opinion on how the department should implement the recommendations.
He told Gumbi-Masilela: “The mere fact that you are delaying implementing these remedial actions, [means that] you are committing a big offence. We are just doing you a favour by sending you back. It is unacceptable that you appear here not ready to answer (on) outstanding issues.”
In an attempt to defend herself, Masilela said that the absence of co-operative governance MEC Fikile Xasa at the committee meeting was “unfortunate” as Xasa had some of the information requested.
Please go home and clear things up for us with straight answers