Sunday Times E-Edition

Minister reinstates officials, suspends their boss

ANDISIWE MAKINANA

Defence minister Thandi Modise has reinstated department of military veterans (DMV) senior managers who were facing allegations of improper conduct just days after their administrative boss was suspended.

Sources in the department say Modise issued a ministerial directive lifting the suspension of four managers, including CFO Sibongiseni Ndlovu, three days after director-general Irene Mpolweni was placed on precautionary suspension this month.

The officials were being investigated on allegations ranging from breaching supply chain management processes, nepotism, insubordination and lack of professional conduct. Sources have questioned the legality of a minister ordering the return to work of officials who were suspended for alleged wrongdoing.

In a draft report dated December 2021, forensic investigations company Nexus said it was probing issues of “great concern” which led to Ndlovu’s suspension.

These included incomplete asset register management and control, ambiguities in respect of disposal of assets, the roles of supply chain management not being up to standard and proper processes not always being followed, some policies in finance being outdated, and failure to put in place and promote a system of good financial management so public money was safeguarded at all times.

Nexus was also looking into the failure to ensure the correct number of bank signatories as required, alleged nepotism relating to Ndlovu’s influence in the bursary approval for a contract employee, and continuous failure to support the department to deliver in accordance with the approved demand management plan and procurement plan.

Large amounts of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and unexplained payments were other reasons for the probe.

Nexus said that during its investigation it observed disconcerting activities to circumvent procurement prescripts in an, at least, grossly negligent fashion by senior officials, and a failure by gatekeepers to prevent prohibited expenditure.

“Basically, the governance in the DMV regarding procurement has collapsed,” reads the draft report.

“The accounting officer’s attention is focused to this, which require urgent intervention; of which consequence management is but one.”

DMV spokesperson Cornelius Monama said the officials had been on suspension for almost two years and Mpolweni had been repeatedly told to either charge them or let them return to work.

“Keeping people on suspension for this long period is unacceptable, unfair and has huge financial implications.”

Monama confirmed that Modise had insisted that all suspended officials be present at a meeting she held with DMV staff recently.

“The position of the ministry is simple: if the suspended officials have a case to answer, let them be charged. If there are no charges against them, let them return to work,” he said.

He would not divulge reasons for Mpolweni’s suspension, citing employer and employee confidentiality.

The Public Servants Association, which is the majority union at DMV, welcomed Mpolweni’s

“much-awaited suspension” and accused her of abuse of power, irregular appointments, and intimidation of employees for advancing proper governance.

“The department was run with an iron fist with employees being suppressed and the legislative framework governing operations being ignored,” it said in a statement.

“Employees were harshly dealt with when raising issues, including four senior managers being suspended for almost two years without conclusion of disciplinary processes.”

Mpolweni placed the four officials on suspension in August 2021 after a query by the Public Service Commission (PSC) on whether action had been taken with respect to irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure by the department in the 2019/20 financial year.

The department had recorded R119m irregular expenditure and fruitless and wasteful expenditure of more than R5m.

The PSC said reports on financial misconduct submitted by the department did not reflect whether consequence management had been or would be taken against the perpetrators.

At the time, the department said it would appoint service providers to begin investigations and attend to the implementation of those findings and recommendations.

“Mr Steenhuisen’s accusations against me are baseless and unfounded. Despite my repeated calls for him to do the right thing and report any alleged criminal activity to the appropriate authorities, he has chosen to spread false information in a desperate attempt to stay relevant,” said Mabuza.

“For him to resort to such sleazy tactics just to score cheap political points is disgraceful and undermines the stature of honourable parliamentarians. I categorically deny any involvement in criminal activity related to Eskom or any other entity.”

Steenhuisen on Friday claimed that the ANC was protecting Mabuza by rejecting the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate corruption and criminal networks at Eskom.

“We all know who this person being referred to is. It’s Mr DD Mabuza and we all know how connected he is within the ANC, and we all know how terrified the ANC is of him [De Ruyter] releasing this information. That is the reality here today,” said Steenhuisen ending a debate in which ANC MPs rejected his request for an ad hoc committee.

“The ANC is going to wait until he is safely in Russia like it waited with the Guptas to be in Dubai and Mr Agrizzi to be in Italy before this parliament slowly gets off and does anything,” Steenhuisen said.

Basically, the governance in the DMV regarding procurement has collapsed

Nexus draft report dated December 2021

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2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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