Power Struggle in Free State, leaves Department in Shambles

Following our previous reports on how the Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation is “mismanaging” a number of issues such as the security at Winnie Mandela Museum and labour conflicts between supply chain head and the MEC, more revelations have come forth on how there’s leadership deficit in the department supposedly under current MEC Limakatso Mahasa.

Security personnel at the Winnie Mandela Museum were only paid their August salaries on Friday, 10 September 2021 and the department is yet to appoint a service provider meaning they will continue month-to-month contract with Tabure SS.

STEP UP SA News has learnt through credible sources that a vast majority of employees are unhappy with the direction the department is taking since the arrival of the current MEC in 2018. Labour unions, NEHAWU and PSA have also submitted several complaints to the MEC asking for her intervention, but to no avail. Among their complaints is lack of internal promotions, lack of overtime payments particularly to security personnel, who work without any protective gear or weapons, lack of absorption of interns who are on contract even though they have been with the department for many years.

According to a source with intimate knowledge, the MEC is failing.

“Since taking office, MEC  Mahasa has failed to ensure that critical senior and middle management positions such as HOD , CFO, Chief Director for Library Services, Director for Library Services, Deputy Director for Infrastructure, Deputy Director for Communication have been filled. Many capable officials have been side-lined since her arrival in the department simply because they are viewed as being close and loyal to her predecessor Mathabo Leeto. These include Mr Paseka  Mosole (former head of MEC’s office) who was illegally removed from the payroll system and demoted to a deputy director position, Mr Tshitso Challa  (former acting chief director for archives), Mrs Dipolelo Hou (former PA to Leeto) who was also demoted to a junior level position, Fezile Sonkwane (former speech writer for Leeto ) who was stripped of his deputy director post and rendered useless after the current head of MEC’s office Mr. Bongo Nazo took all communication  powers to his office. Nthabiseng Makopo (head of planning) has also been side-lined after it was expected that she will take over as chief director for corporate services. Mahasa favoured a man over a woman Tankiso Zola to take over despite the auditor-general raising questions over the legitimacy of the chief director post. We reported this position is not part of the structure,” the source said 

STEP UP SANEWS has also received information that Makgopo is currently embroiled in a personal legal dispute with Zola after the two manhandled each other at work.

The “purging” of Leeto allies has been carefully orchestrated, but has unfortunately seen the department losing institutional memory and many low ranking officials have started to feel its effect. Many within the department complain that Nazo has effectively positioned himself as the defacto MEC and issues directives to all within the department under the guise of the MEC and threatens those who don’t toe the line.  A comeback strategy is being planned by Leeto’s allies because she also sits in the governing party’s deployment committee. Should this succeed many of her people will be promoted.

There are also reports that Mahasa is not interested in seeing the promotion of youth in her department despite the fact that many young people in her department are highly qualified and stand to be promoted, but processes have been halted. Head of language serves Dr Mahanke is supposed to be on retirement, but the department has given him a two-year extension on his contract and officials in his unit are not happy, many of whom have postgraduate qualifications and can be promoted. Heritage services coordinator and unionist Mrs Ntando Mbatha holds a masters degree, but is constantly overlooked and currently occupies a junior position despite being more qualified than her seniors. Communication officer Fezile Sonkwane leads the department’s communication platforms and is also studying towards his masters degree, but plans are afoot to frustrate him despite a promotional post vacant for him. It is alleged that the department’s communication section is without basic tools of trade like printers, cameras, storage facilities, softwares despite it being allocated a operational budget of about R6 million annually.

A source within hierarchy at the department told Step Up Sa News no one will succeed as long as BIG 5 is there.

“the department also has a unique clique of senior managers who control whoever is the MEC at any given time. This clique is well known within the corridors of the department as THE BIG 5. It includes five male senior managers who stifle processes and seek to persuade whoever is MEC in the department to follow a particular direction often to the dismay of labour unions and low ranking officials. It is unfortunate that MEC Mahasa has fallen into their trap after it was hoped that her deployment to the department would shake things up and see the appointment of women and youth to senior positions.”

Just last Friday, Mahasa organised a trip for women in the department to visit historical sites in Gauteng with four buses and a combi, but only a few showed up. The trip was expected to ferry 200 women, but it is reported that only 30 showed up and this resulted in wasteful expenditure. Also, those who attended  complained that food and beverages they received were of inferior standard and they didn’t even get to some of the sites they were promised even though payments were made to these sites. Acting HOD Kutlwano Tlhakudi was apparently told not to attend this event after concerns that she would raise these concerns with Mahasa once she arrived and noticed the disorganisation.

Staff have also complained about nepotism in the MEC’s office. Most officials in her office are alleged to be relatives and/or friends.

Among those alleged to be very close to Mahasa is the registrar Sbongile Mtethwa who sources say is the child of Mahasa’s aunt, Mr Guvuza PLO who sources say is Mahasa’s brother-in-law and Masabata Magashule who is  Mahasa’s PA. Masabata is allegedly the suspended secretary general of ANC Ace Magashule’s niece.

Further investigation by Step Up SA News revealed Mr Mzwandile Mbele and his wife Nomzi Mbele were hired by the late former MEC Mafereka. Mbele is Assistant Director Labour Relations while his wife is Human Resource Development.

According to another source Nomzi Mbele who is responsible for interns hired her son.

 “Well this department is a joke, it’s a famiy affair. Our Human Resource Development gave her son Frank Maqam an internship now he works at the sport centre in Welkom. But it gets better, Frank’s babymama Ongeziwe works with Nomzi Mbele in HRD”

Mr Paseka Mosele and his wife Mrs Mmokgo Mosele were hired by Mathabo Leeto.

There are also complaints that Mahasa often wants the departmental social media pages used for her personal stuff, which has nothing to do with the department. For example, her birthday has been integrated into the department’s calendar of events and she uses this platform to hand out gifts, cheques, and food parcels to residents in her hometown at the department’s expense.

Mismanagement at the department  was glaring when the postponement of unveiling of Winnie  Mandela town was announced. It is alleged that the MEC made the announcement prematurely and did not give audience to objections raised by the community and opposition. But a closer look revealed that this was more of an internal problem because the department has failed to appoint a coordinator for the provincial geographical names committee since the departure of the previous official three years ago. An intern has been occupying the post without pay and has lately downed tools that’s why many correspondences are left without receiving attention. The story of interns working without pay is a long standing problem in the department.

Office of Mahasa didn’t respond to questions sent by Step Up SA News.

This is a developing story.