Wanted: A new spindoctor for Ramaphosa

The office of the presidency is said to be fielding possible candidates to take over as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson.

This comes after Ramaphosa’s previous spokesperson, Khusela Diko, was axed from the job after she was placed on precautionary suspension, pending the outcome of her disciplinary hearing.

The presidency said this week that it had completed a disciplinary process against Diko for her failure to disclose her interests in certain companies as required by public service regulations on the disclosure of financial interests.

“Following the disciplinary process, Diko has been served with a written warning for this offence. The action taken by the presidency management was in compliance with a recommendation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that Diko be disciplined for her failure to disclose certain interests.

“This recommendation arose from an SIU investigation into the government’s procurement of Covid-19 personal protective equipment [PPE]. Diko, who is currently on maternity leave, will not return to the position of spokesperson to the president but to a different position in the public service,” acting spokesperson in the presidency Tyrone Seale said in a statement.

One source with intimate knowledge of the events said that the presidency was forced to put out a statement this week after it was leaked that Diko was returning to her job as Ramaphosa’s mouthpiece.

“It felt more like the president was being strong-armed to make a decision or reinstate Khusela,” an insider said. “The office did not take kindly to the reports. There is a feeling that the president has shielded Khusela even after her husband died, so it was surprising that the ruling of the disciplinary hearings would come out before the presidency could make a statement.”

Ramaphosa’s communication team has been widely criticised for failing to avail the president for more media engagements and not responding to questions about developments in his office. Ramaphosa is said to be looking for someone who can bridge the gap between his office and the media.

Diko, who went on “special leave” in July last year, enjoys a cushy salary, estimated at about R1.3-million a year. The Mail & Guardian understands that Diko falls under the salary bracket of a government chief director. On that salary, Diko has been paid more than R500 000 while on special leave.

Diko has faced multiple blows. Her position as acting deputy director general at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has also been terminated.

In February, government spokesperson Phumla Williams told the

M&G that Diko’s acting position at GCIS fell away when she went on special leave.

“Diko was never employed by GCIS. She was there on a secondment, attached to one of our vacant posts. Once she was put on special leave that secondment fell away,” Williams said.

Although Diko’s position as Ramaphosa’s spokesperson was considered to be a political appointment, she later became a public servant employed by GCIS.

She took special leave after a report emerged that her late husband, Madzikane II Diko, was awarded a R125-million tender to supply PPE to the Gauteng health department.

William Gumede — an associate professor at the school of governance at the University of the Witwatersrand — previously said Diko exemplified the state’s problem of spending billions on the paid leave of public officials.

Gumede said some officials are paid while on special leave for as long as five years.

“If you are on paid leave for some kind of alleged wrongdoing, then really that is not a punishment. It only becomes a deterrent when one takes unpaid leave,” he said.

The guidelines say suspension should ideally be for a period not longer than 30 days.