HAMMER COMES DOWN ON ‘BHISHO JOBS FOR PALS’

PSC report says unqualified juniors parachuted to top posts

An explosive public service commission report has lifted the lid on chaos in the Eastern Cape transport department, painting MEC Weziwe TikanaGxothiwe as a leader who parachutes unqualified and inexperienced cronies to senior government positions.

The report, presented by provincial PSC commissioner Lulu Sizani to the legislature’s portfolio committee on transport on Tuesday, recommends that Bhisho approach the court to apply for some 15 positions to be set aside — and for those implicated to pay back the money.

Some of those appointed head up the shambolic scholar transport unit, which has for years left thousands of deserving pupils in the province walking long distances to school.

Staff in the department first complained about irregular appointments in 2016, and the PSC began probing the allegations in 2018.

Transport deputy directorgeneral Lomex Sisilana — whose appointment is among those highlighted in the report

— allegedly colluded with Tikana-Gxothiwe in flouting employment processes.

The PSC said Sisilana had a junior degree and not the Master’s qualification required for the post. “Mr Sisilana’s CV reveals that he should not have been appointed to the post of deputy director-general of administration as he did not meet all the requirements of the post,” reads the report.

It recommends that the appointment of Sisilana be legally set aside.

Gregory Brown’s appointment as project manager of scholar transport chief director was also brought into the spotlight, with the PSC saying he had three year’s managerial experience and not the required five years.

The appointment of Thulisa Sonjani, who joined scholar transport as an intern and was given a post as an assistant director, was also found to be irregular, unadvertised and needing to be set aside.

The PSC found that Tikana-Gxothiwe appointed Nosiphiwo Somdyala as her personal assistant in June 2014, but Somdyala was later parachuted into the position of director for the controversial scholar transport programme in 2015, giving her a permanent job with a

R1m annual salary.

The report recommends that she be returned to her post as personal assistant, and that the money incurred as a result of the change be regarded as irregular expenditure and recovered from those implicated.

The commission dealt with 34 allegations from staff members, mostly of irregular appointments made by Tikana-Gxothiwe and Sisilana.

Among them were the employment of Andile Mini as assistant director of programme support for the chief director of corporate service. Tikana-Gxothiwe has since deployed Mini as the chair of Mayibuye

Transport Corporation.

“Mr Mini did not meet all the requirements of the advert as he had only the required experience but not the required qualifications as per the advert,” says the report.

Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha welcomed the report, saying it vindicated them as they had been at the forefront of fighting maladministration and corruption at the department. She demanded that the report’s recommendations be implemented.

“Evidence of corrupt activities and wasteful expenditure were presented to management in 2017 but the department elected to ignore glaring irregularities raised by our members.

“Our members were in possession of evidence that points to corruption in the scholar transport programme and the fleet of the department.

Transport portfolio committee chair Xolani Malamlela said: “It can’t be business as usual. These irregular appointments must be explained. As soon as the office of the speaker gives us a way forward, we’re going to call the department to come and explain itself.”

Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s spokesperson, Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, said the premier would meet with Tikana-Gxothiwe

and Sizani after the MEC requested a meeting.

“We can confirm that the premier received the report from the PSC. He also received a letter from MEC Tikana-Gxothiwe who sharply raised serious concerns about the manner in which the PSC carried itself during the process.”

Tikana-Gxothiwe’s spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, said they were studying the report and “engaging the affected parties”.

“We will be developing an action plan which will be submitted to the PSC in line with the commissioner’s recommendations,” he said.