By: Sello Theletsane
Free State premier Sisi Ntombela and Human Settlements MEC Mxolisi Dukwana, both close allies of embattled President Cyril Ramaphosa are embroiled in a recruitment scandal involving a controversial former Ekurhuleni Metro official, an alleged Lesotho national.
It is alleged the pair recruited the controversial official to specifically assist them to loot the provincial Department of Human Settlements to fund their ANC provincial conference. Sources allege that Mary Masitha, who is alleged to have controversially resigned as project manager in Ekurhuleni Department of Human Settlements while being probed for corruption, was given the top position of Head of Department (HOD) Free State Human Settlements by Ntombela and Dukwana to assist fund their Free State ANC provincial conference due to take place in a few days time before the party’s elective national conference which is set to sit on the 16th December. Dukwana is eyeing the position of provincial ANC chairperson at the forthcoming provincial conference.
Sources claim Free State Department of Human Settlements has unspent funds to the tune of R800m, which they say is being targeted before it can be returned to the National Treasury. It is alleged within days of assuming office, Masitha wasted no time as she specifically targeted officials in her department’s supply chain management, who did not corporate or refused to execute her unlawful instructions. It is alleged Masitha has in three months since her appointment, transferred and unlawfully suspended scores of officials, a vast majority of those from the department’s supply chain management.
Masitha’s recruitment and her subsequent victimisation of officials has angered many, among these labour unions which have questioned why Masitha, an alleged Lesotho national was given the job when there are many South Africans who are qualified for the job. Questions have also been raised whether due diligence was conducted by the provincial government and whether Masitha was properly vetted, given allegations that she abruptly abandoned her job in Ekurhuleni when she realised a corruption probe was going to nail her.
It is alleged that in her rush to satisfy those who recruited her to her powerful position in the Free State Provincial Government, Masitha violated all labour relations laws by either suspending or moving officials from supply chain management to other departments where there are no vacancies and budget for their new positions.
Evidence in possession of Africa News Global shows that some officials were suspended barely days after they resisted unlawful attempts by Masitha to move them to other departments, except for one official, who, out of desperation, agreed to be transferred unlawfully.
A Free State Human Settlements Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation confirmed that Masitha was indeed a Lesotho national. “Mosa is her real name and she is a Lesotho citizen known to be corrupt to the core from Ekurhuleni Human Settlements Department. What irritates us more is that a qualified, experienced, and incorruptible senior executive female official Miss Tladi who is a Free Stater, was overlooked for the position and Mmantombela insisted on head-hunting this known thief. Clearly, we were sold a myth in this renewal agenda.”
Africa News Global has also reliably been informed that the victims of Masitha’s reign of terror have sought the intervention of Ntombela, Dukwana, the provincial ANC, and labour unions. However, their pleas have all fallen on deaf ears. Africa News Global sent questions to Ntombela, Dukwana, Masitha as well as Free State ANC provincial secretary Paseka Nompondo, all of who failed to respond. Interestingly, questions sent to Dukwana via WhatsApp were leaked barely minutes after he had read them.
