Minister slated for ‘SACP, Xhosa bias’
Employee also claims ’close’ colleague given dodgy salary hikes
AGRICULTURE, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana has been accused of employing only Xhosa speakers and SACP members, while irregularly increasing the salary of a female employee said to be close to him.
Zokwana, the national chairman of the SACP, has been dragged to the Labour Court by his department’s parliamentary liaison officer, Renee Thompson, who says the minister discriminated against her because she was not “Xhosa and an SACP member”.
In court papers, Thompson said Zokwana and the department “unfairly excluded” her from meetings she should have attended as parliamentary liaison officer.
She also accused Zokwana’s former chief of staff, Lumko Mtimde, of “unfairly” excluding her from the opening of parliament in February last year.
Thompson said she had found out in 2015 that she was the lowest-paid senior management staff member in Zokwana’s office even though she was experienced and qualified.
Thompson wants the court to rule that Zokwana stop discriminating and to direct the ministry to adhere to labour laws, which she claimed were not followed when the appointments were made.
Zokwana, through his spokeswoman Bomikazi Molapo, denied the “extremely serious and deeply disparaging” allegations.
Thompson singled out the salary increment of Zokwana’s administrative secretary, Unathi Fumba, who now earns close to R900 000 a year.
Before the latest increase, Fumba was a deputy director of “executive implementation and secretariat”, with a R612 822 annual package.
Thompson alleged that Zokwana appointed only “black Xhosa-speaking persons, SACP members from the Eastern Cape to his office”. She named secretary Fumba, Nongoma Mtitshana, Zukiswa Thebe, spokeswoman Molapo and former chief of staff Mtimde.
Thompson claimed Fumba has a close relationship with Zokwana.
Insiders close to Zokwana said Thompson’s accusations were sour grapes because she was not appointed to the position of chief of staff.
In a letter to former director-general Edith Vries dated July 1 2015, Zokwana motivates for Fumba’s salary increase.
“Ms Fumba performs functions that should be ranked at a senior management level in the ministry. Besides the chief of staff, she is the only other official in the ministry who has the responsibility to supervise a number of staff members and also provides effective support to the executive authority (minister),” wrote Zokwana.
In July last year Zokwana appointed Fumba as his acting chief of staff for just four days.
Fumba is said to have had her salary adjusted three times since joining the ministry in 2014. She is a former employee of the National Union of Mineworkers, which Zokwana served as president.
Fumba denied having a relationship with Zokwana outside the workplace.
“I think it’s very strange. If I’m allegedly not professionally involved with him, why would I have salary issues? Why would I not already be at level 14 or higher than other people? It makes no sense to me,” said Fumba.
She said the reason her salary was increased was to match that of deputy ministry senior officials, who had their salaries adjusted by Zokwana’s deputy, Bheki Cele.
Molapo said Thompson’s allegations were “damaging and defamatory”.
Mtimde declined to comment.