Union lays charges against officials
THE NATIONAL Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has called for a forensic audit to be conducted at the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature after laying criminal charges against officials, relating to alleged corruption and wasteful expenditure.
Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha said the charges were laid on Friday against the deputy Speaker of the legislature, the chief financial officer (CFO), the former acting manager responsible for Human Capital, the head of staff in the Office of the Speaker and the Secretary to the Legislature.
“The Secretary to the Legislature received a sum of R367 788.18 as a non-pensionable cash allowance which he was not entitled to. The acting manager responsible for Human Capital motivated the payment of the cash allowance as being meant to mitigate the impact of the non-permanent employment arrangement,” said Saphetha.
He stated that legislation did not allow for the payment of this allowance.
“The senior management service handbook, which was used to justify the payment to the Secretary, is only applicable to persons appointed by the Public Service Act, which the Secretary does not fall under.”
Saphetha stated that in terms of the Public Finance Management and Finance acts governing the provincial legislature, anyone who aided an activity that resulted in fruitless expenditure should be criminally charged.
“The payment to the Secretary to the Legislature counts as fruitless expenditure and it is for that reason that the aforementioned members of the legislature must be criminally charged.
“The second case will be opened against the CFO of the legislature, who was offered the position in 2014, a day after he resigned as finance manager. Immediately, he requested to be paid his leave days contrary to the policies of the legislature and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. To our dismay, the legislature paid him an amount of R116 301.87 as if he was entitled to it, but he just merely changed the position. As a former finance manager and acting CFO he was aware of the legislative and policy provisions that relates to the payment of leave,” said Saphetha.
He indicated that nine years after the CFO applied for study leave in 2009, which Nehawu says he did not qualify for, the Secretary of the Legislature paid him out in cash in lieu of the leave days that he used, in contravention of the regulations.
“All three cases have an element of corruption and fraud. Further investigations must be instituted in order to verify the extent of the rot at the legislature,” said Saphetha.
“We call for a forensic investigation on the finances of the legislature, including the amount of R525 947 that was deducted from the account of the legislature by the South African Revenue Service (Sars). The legislature responded by saying that the money was deducted by mistake. However, the amount was deducted as a result of non-compliance with tax laws.”
Saphetha said that he could not understand how the legislature had managed to receive a clean audit from the auditor-general.
“We also note that the two supervisors of the audit team from the auditor-general’s office, who audited the legislature at the time, were subsequently employed by the legislature without following proper recruitment and selection processes. We therefore view this as a payback for the clean audit.”
Saphetha added that after Nehawu had reported these issues to the Speaker, the rules committee and the auditor-general, including Danie van der Lith
the audit committee, the branch leadership of Nehawu at the legislature were threatened with suspension and disciplinary action.
“The management has been on a witch-hunt for those they suspect to be leaking information. As Nehawu, we will pursue the matter until the very end and will not stand idle while our members are being victimised.”
Saphetha indicated that national office bearers would be deployed to monitor the Province on a full-time basis until a favourable outcome was reached.
“The national union will dedicate the entire month of November to resolving all the issues raised by our members during our branch visits.”