Complaints about hiring communist party members leads Gcaleka to find no improper conduct or maladministration Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has cleared former Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Thulas Nxesi from wrongdoing in the appointment of senior officials in his department during his tenure. Picture: Nqobile Mbonambi/Independent Newspapers
PUBLIC Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has cleared former Cabinet minister Thulas Nxesi of allegations that he hired a number of senior officials attached to the SA Communist Party (SACP) at the public works and infrastructure department.
Nxesi, who is the SACP’s deputy national chairperson, was accused of appointing the party’s Mpumalanga provincial chairperson Bonakele Majuba, who is currently the province’s finance MEC, former Limpopo SACP provincial secretary Gilbert Kganyago and central committee member Charles Setsubi.
Also in the report are allegations that Proteas captain Temba Bavuma’s father Vuyo Bavuma, formerly a news editor at The Star, was among the top officials hired by Nxesi.
However, Gcaleka found no wrongdoing in the appointments.
According to an anonymous complaint to the Office of the Public Protector, Nxesi was accused of recruiting unnamed people from the SACP to join the one of the department’s programmes, which was funded by the National Treasury.
The complainant alleged that the programme was neither monitored nor audited for a period of seven years since 2012.
Gcaleka found that Setsubi, a former uMkhonto weSizwe operative, was appointed a director at a maximum salary scale at a time when he was high-ranking SACP member.
It was claimed that the position he occupied was not advertised and that he hails from the same province as Nxesi, the Eastern Cape.
Setsubi enjoyed a salary without doing any duties or attending any of the department’s meetings and as a result he was also regarded as a ghost worker.
Kganyago, a former Mayor of Capricorn District Municipality in Limpopo, was appointed irregularly and earned a salary of a director at the maximum scale and his position was not advertised, the complainant claimed.
It was further claimed that veteran unionist Dhaya Govender, who was formerly a SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) leader, was appointed as a deputy director-general. It was claimed that Govender and Nxesi have a close relationship.
Gcaleka was told that as soon as Nxesi became Minister of the Public Works for his second stint Govender was moved to another role of the deputy director-general position responsible for real estate management services, which manages all state leases with a budget exceeding R12 billion.
It was claimed that Nxesi directly interfered with the procurement of private leases through Govender and that Mendo Properties was established as a front company to facilitate leases for properties and ensure that Nxesi was able to support the SACP.
Sibusiso Zondi, the son-in-law of party national chairperson and Science and Technology Minister Dr. Blade Nzimande, who was SACP general secretary at the time, was allegedly appointed at director level on the last notch without any valid reason, the complainant further claimed.
It was also alleged that Gauteng teacher Nkosana Kubheka a former leader of Sadtu, a union Nxesi led for many years as general secretary, was brought in by his former boss to be responsible for various big strategic projects. Kubheka’s position was not advertised and he was appointed at a higher salary for chief directors.
In her report, as alleged by the complainant, Gcaleka identified Clive Mtshisa as the deputy director-general managing the deployment of SACP members and to also ensure that tenders were awarded to service providers linked to the organisation.
The department denied that the appointments had anything to do with SACP affiliation or membership and Gcaleka found that Nxesi’s conduct did not constitute improper conduct and maladministration.
Nxesi and Majuba did not respond to requests for comment.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za