Magwaza’s exit bad for country
The sudden departure of SA Social Security Agency chief executive Thokozani Magwaza is a sad example of what is wrong with the government of Jacob Zuma.
It sends the unmistakable message that fealty to the president and his faction is rewarded handsomely while integrity, competence and loyalty to the South African people is not valued, and is in fact disposable.
It’s Magwaza’s former boss, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, who should have been fired for incompetence for her failure to oversee the migration of the payment of pensions and other social grants from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) to a legally approved institution as ordered by the Constitutional Court.
Instead, a good man has been forced to quit his job after being subjected to intolerable pressure and stress, including threats to his life.
According to media reports, Magwaza was put under pressure to take a “lucrative exit package” and leave the agency.
Our public service is today poorer following his resignation.
A bit of background to this tale is germaine. It is common cause that Dlamini dithered and, it could be argued, was obstructive when she was required to oversee the appointment of a new contractor to take over from CPS. The reasons for her inaction have been subject to much speculation, but we shall say no more.
It is also relevant that Magwaza was scheduled to testify against Dlamini about her role in the grants payments debacle.
Which is why the statement by the chairman of Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts, Themba Godi ,that Dlamini “pushed” Magwaza to resign, made sense.
The department said Magwaza’s contract was terminated after a consultation process. Read from that statement what you will. The manner of his departure is a tragedy for each and every honest and hardworking public servant.
It is bad news for the building of a professional public service and a capable state.
Magwaza’s departure sends a warning to honest people in government that integrity does not pay, but only loyalty to political masters, whatever their ethics.
What a sad state of affairs for our land.