Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Solly Msimanga MPL.
The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG), under Premier Panyaza Lesufi, claims to be committed to the rule of law and due process; however, it fails to provide the outcomes of the disciplinary hearings for the suspended officials.
The following senior officials were placed on precautionary suspension for 60 days: Arnold Lesiba Malotana, the former Gauteng Health Head of Department (HOD); Nontsikelelo Sisulu, HOD for Community Safety; and Mduduzi Malope, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Community Safety.
The DA Gauteng will table further questions to the Premier to determine why all these officials have been moved to other departments and to make the internal report available, explain why the officials were placed on precautionary suspension and the outcomes of the investigations.
The Premier has provided no update on whether disciplinary action has been taken against these officials and has never provided the outcomes of the disciplinary hearings. We demand to know whether these officials were cleared of the serious allegations of corruption and maladministration. Lesufi must not cynically invoke due process as a substitute for transparency on the outcomes of disciplinary processes.
While awaiting the disciplinary outcomes, these officials were moved to other departments that provide critical services to the province despite the ongoing investigations and clouds hanging over their heads. Sisulu was redeployed to the Premier’s office to assist with service delivery priorities, and Malope was deployed to the Gauteng Department of Environment to help with financial administration. Malotana was moved to a senior manager position at the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and has been recently appointed as the new City of Johannesburg HOD of Public Safety.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng demands that the internal disciplinary hearing report into Malotana and other suspended officials be made public immediately. Lesufi claims to be committed to following due process. While we respect the integrity of the ongoing investigations and disciplinary processes, we want to know why these suspended officials are allowed to move from one senior position to another while the investigations are ongoing. This raises a serious question about whether internal disciplinary processes have been turned into mechanisms for delaying accountability and allowing corruption-accused officials to escape consequences. Clearly, Lesufi has failed the residents of Gauteng by shielding these officials.
Lesufi further claims that he has consistently updated the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) on these matters and has made it clear that he is awaiting the final forensic report from the Special Investigative Unit (SIU). Lesufi is misleading Gauteng residents by failing to provide reports regarding the processes followed before and after the suspension of these officials, including internal investigations and their findings.
Gauteng residents deserve a transparent government that adheres to the rule of law, instead of shuffling alleged corrupt officials from one department or entity to another.
Under a DA-led Gauteng Provincial government, transparency in these matters will be a priority. If disciplinary action is necessary, it will occur within 90 days.