Tongue lashing for health MEC
Temporary staff occupying critical posts
KWAZULU- NATAL Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo has received a tongue lashing from provincial MPLs for introducing to them another acting chief financial officer (CFO) instead of a permanent official for the critical position.
The introduction of Phumelele Shezi as the acting CFO during the meeting of the KZN health portfolio committee at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg yesterday led to MPLs, especially those from the ANC, taking turns in expressing their outrage at Dhlomo.
MPLs said next time Dhlomo appeared before the committee he should introduce a permanent person to head the department’s finance section, which had been operating under acting CFOs for more than a year.
ANC MPL Linda Hlongwa warned Dhlomo that a big de- partment like that of health would not survive under the leadership of acting officials.
“MEC, the cabinet must know organisations like this one are likely to collapse if there is no leadership that takes authority. We want to express our unhappiness that we have had the acting CFO, I think, for a year and half, and now there is another acting CFO,” said Hlongwa.
Shezi was among four new acting senior officials introduced to the oversight committee. He replaces Sihle Mkhize, who recently resigned after he was asked to return to his position as chief director – general manager in auditing.
Mkhize was appointed to act as CFO after Dhlomo unceremoniously fired permanent chief executive Ndoda Biyela two years ago.
Biyela had been employed by former provincial health head Sibongile Zungu, who also left the department after having a fallout with Dhlomo.
Dhlomo had claimed that he was sidelined when Biyela was employed.
Other positions which have acting leaders are the head of legal services, the deputy director-general for district health services and head of supply chain.
“The filling of posts is being delayed not because of our own making, but because austerity measures require that all posts must go through treasury and the premier as a resolution of the cabinet,” said Dhlomo.
Dhlomo said the depart- ment was closer to completing the process of employing a permanent CFO.
“We are waiting to bring the person before cabinet. It could have happened even in December, we were ready,” he said.
Another ANC MPL, Jomo Sibiya, described the situation of the CFO as depressing and confusing. “You got a resignation of the person who was dealing with audit, who happened to act as CFO, not that he was the CFO,” he said.
He called on the MEC to introduce a proper CFO in the next meeting of the health portfolio committee.
DA MPL Imran Keeka said the instability within the department, which is known for financial problems and lack of leadership, was caused by resignations, “which would sometimes happen at once”.
“MEC seeks to downplay the many vacancies in his department and writes off the fact that this creates instability in management,” he said.