Ntombela’s embroiled in fraudulent salary adjustments allegations

Free State Premier Sefora Ntombela is fingered in the alleged irregularity of staff salary adjustments.
This is allegedly between the period when she was serving as the MEC for Social Development in the province, back in 2012. Ntombela succeeded the now suspended African National Congress General Secretary, Ace Magashule following his election at the Nasrec Conference in 2017.

Step Up SA News is in possession of letter signed by Ntombela from when she headed Social Development, wherein she instructed the Senior Manager of Human Resources (HR) Mathews Mohutsiwa to increase the salary of Bongo Nazo to the last notch of level 13. His position at the time was Senior Manager Youth Development.

Curiously this letter is not addressed to the acting Head of Department JMW Linstrom but the Senior Manager Mathews Mohutsiwa and the acting HOD JMW Linstrom is copied.

In the letter then MEC Ntombela claims that Nazo was being poached by the department of COGTA in a transfer arrangement. This then prompted the MEC to demand that the official be placed on the last notch of level 13 because the official is a high performer, according to the letter.

It’s not clear what made Nazo a high performer or what measured his performance.

The letter did not have supporting documents, either of the performance assessments done or the letter of COGTA offering him a transfer away from the department of Social Development in line with the Public Service Act. The act states that any employee who seeks transfer will be transferred laterally on the same salary.

It then raises a red flag as to why it will be the MEC that writes such a letter and gives instructions to HR when it actually should be written by the accounting officer of the department, who is tasked with the responsibility of the performance management system.

Following complaints from Social Development staff, the late secretary of National Education Health Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) Lebohang Khati wrote to Public Service Commission on 6 April 2018 raising various salaries increases, and in response, PSC stated that there is nothing they can do about this situation as complaints came around a bit late. This despite the fact that the former HOD of Social Development Mokone Nthongoa sent a letter in 2018.

“Mr. Nazo’s post was upgraded as a result of the implementation of Job Evaluation outcomes as per Annexure L. According to the letter signed by the former MEC dated 8 October 2012, Mr. Nazo was offered a transfer and not an appointment,” Nthongoa says in the letter explaining.

Meanwhile, the report from PSC to NEHAWU states:

“During the investigation, the department could not produce a proof to indicate that Mr Nazo was offered or requested a transfer to the departmentof COGTA and Human Settlement.”

A source from NEHAWU who spoke to Step Up News SA on condition of anonymity said Bongo Nazo is no stranger to dodgy appointments.

“Mr. Nazo has always been promoted unlawfully. From when he was made a director, it was through a submission motivated by the former chief director Ms. Masekoa. Briefly, after that promotion, his salary was unlawfully moved to the last notch of level 13 but this time, with the motivation from the then MEC (current Premier). It is unusual for the MEC to write a motivation and direct administrators to implement – but upon a brief Public Service Commission on the latter discrepancies’- Mr. Nazo once again shifted from Soc Dev to DESTEA. To date, we still don’t know how he was even seconded from DESTEA to SACR. All that we can confirm is the fact that he was fraudulently placed on the last notch of salary level and he was whisked off from the Soc Dev to avoid the investigation into such.”

Upon requesting Nazo’s salary to be adjusted to the last notch of Level 13, Ntombela proudly stated that she is being guided by Public Service Regulations Act,2001 Part V (a.1 and A.2).

This despite the fact that the Act states that “The Minister shall determine a salary scale or scales and allowances”.

It’s appalling that the MEC would rely on an act that specifically mentions Minister for her salary adjustment justifications, as not only does this expose her actions as unfair and unlawful but irregular under the provisions of the Act.

In another incident its alleged the former acting HOD JMW Linstrom wrote a submission for his Chief Director position notch appraisal and MEC approved it. These allegations which she faces from her tenure as the MEC now beg the question of what more remains hidden under her leadership as the Premier of the province.

Earlier this year Premier suspended Roads and Transport HOD, Mr Sipho Mtakati citing poor roads while other departments are in worse positions but their HODs are not suspended.

In August Premier said all vacant HOD positions will be filled by women “capacity or not” and currently; Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Roads and Transport, Treasury and Social Development have acting HODs.

The irony is the premier replaced a female HOD with male at Social Development.

The HOD for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and Social Development are idling in the office of the premier after they were recalled.

Few HOD contracts have to come to an end and the premier is currently handing month-to-month contracts.

Bongo Nazo did not respond to our questions including, if he will pay back the money should it be established that he benefited unduly.