FRAUD ’ OFFICIAL CHASES TOP JOB
Mweli s criminal case pending, says NPA
A SENIOR civil servant who still has fraud and corruption charges against him is in the running to land another plum government job.
Matanzima Mweli was charged with fraud and corruption while he was head of the North West department of education. He is now eyeing the position of director-general in the department of basic education.
Mweli, who did not respond to requests for comment, is currently the deputy directorgeneral of curriculum policy monitoring and support.
Sowetan reported on Monday that interviews were held by the department on the weekend to fill the position that has been vacant for longer than a year since Bobby Soobrayan resigned.
Soobrayan was accused of misusing funds from the Education Labour Relations Council and that he signed a collective agreement on behalf of the department without a proper mandate.
Though he was cleared of any wrongdoing by a disciplinary hearing that was chaired by retired Judge Wille van der Merwe, Soobrayan decided to quit. He was succeeded by Paddy Padayachee in acting capacity.
In 2009, the North West department of education suspended Mweli after being charged with fraud and corruption. He challenged his suspension in the Labour Court and won.
He resigned afterwards and went on to join the Eastern Cape department of education as an acting deputy directorgeneral.
He was also appointed the provincial head of intervention unit in 2011.
Mweli was criminally charged with fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravening the Public Finance Management Act. He is out on R500 000 bail.
North West ’ s National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Frank Lesenyego confirmed that the case against Mweli was still pending.
Sowetan has reliably learnt that Mweli was interviewed for the DG position. The other candidates interviewed are Padayachee, deputy director-general for planning and delivery oversight at the department Palesa Tyobeka, and deputy director-general for planning and monitoring at the department of higher education and training Firoz Patel.
Departmental spokesman Elijah Mhlanga declined to comment on the details of the interviews process.
“It is a ministerial process which should end once cabinet has considered and approved what will be recommended.”
Mhlanga said the department should have a permament director-general by September or October.