Home Affairs senior manager fired

JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Home Affairs has fired a senior manager who tried to facilitate visas for Gupta associate Ashu Chawla and others in the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia.

The department’s Director of Appeals, Major Kobese, was dismissed on Wednesday for unsuccessfully facilitating the undue processing of the permits which Chawla and others did not deserve.

“The visas which he wanted issued were not issued because officials based in these missions refused to be part of his shenanigans,” said the department.

“Kobese was found guilty on three counts of gross misconduct in the execution of his duties in a disciplinary hearing that lasted five months.

“The first allegation involved him having exerted pressure on the officials of the department to process and issue visas and permits in breach of the applicable laws and/or regulations and/or standard procedures applicable within the department.

Allegation

“The second allegation involved him having allowed outside and/or private individuals and/or interests to unduly control and influence him in the execution of his duties, which in many instances resulted in some visa applicants getting preferential treatment in respect of their applications,” said the department.

The third allegation was that Kobese’s

grossly inappropriate conduct included paying a bribe.

The chairperson of the disciplinary hearing found that ‘given the core responsibility of Kobese, as a senior manager, to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct and a high level of integrity and his complete lack of remorse, the conclusion which I ineluctably arrive at is that the employment relationship has been destroyed and dismissal is the appropriate sanction’.

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said: “The outcome of this disciplinary hearing shows that there are many officials who continue to do their work diligently even when placed under pressure by their managers. It also shows that we are rooting out all forms of corruption, malfeasance and irregularities we find at Home Affairs.”