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Independent Media reports that Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has found that Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula irregularly appointed and paid three advisors millions of rand without the required approval of the Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu.
She ruled that the appointments of special advisors Lawrence Venkile and Bongisizwe Mpondo, as well as that of legal advisor Kaiser Khoza, had been done contrary to the provisions of the Public Service Act and other prescripts applicable to the department in 2019. Mkhwebane’s investigation also uncovered that Venkile and Khoza were irregularly paid salaries equivalent to those of deputy directors-general even though their appointments had not yet been approved by Mchunu. Venkile and Khoza were appointed at annual salaries ranging between R1.45 million and R1.71m. “Their offers in respect of contracts of appointment are dated 1 June 2019 and 21 March 2019 and Mchunu approved them later on 27 August 2019 and 11 November 2020, respectively,” Mkhwebane indicated. She advised that Venkile had undertaken to pay back the money determined as a salary overpayment. Mbalula and transport director-general Alec Moemi had undertaken to recovery all overpayments that had been effected on Khoza’s salary. Mkhwebane also slammed Mbalula’s secondment of Mpondo to the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) as administrator in December 2019. Mbalula has been ordered by Mkhwebane to urgently and appropriately take steps to ensure that when appointing a future special advisor, he submits recommendations to the DPSA minister for approval of the individual’s compensation level before the appointment/upgrade is effected.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loyiso Sidimba at Independent Media
- Read too, Cadre deployment: Mkhwebane flags Mbalula’s irregular advisor appointments, at The Citizen
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page