Free State Premier’s daughter, a deputy director with just matric

“The reason we have high unemployment rate in a country that is full of opportunities, minerals, good economy and wealth. It is because we have greedy and clueless people who are having key positions to open doors for others. They have made themselves gate keepers and turned the government into a family business. Unskilled and uneducated people are doing job security by not hiring people who are skilled and educated.”
― DJ Kyos

This quote comes to mind when one thinks of what Free State Premier Sefora Ntombela said in August that “all vacant HOD positions will be filled by women capacity or not” most Free Stators laughed thinking she was joking.

Last week Ntombela shocked everyone by appointing a director as acting HOD following a fall out between MEC Mahasa and the then acting HOD Kutloano Tlhakudi.

Tlhakudi is the 3rd HOD to bite the dust after Mokone Nthongoa and Stanley Malope at Social Development and SARC respectively. The common denominator is Mahasa but she remains in her position while everyone is pushed, why?

Step Up SA News has discovered Premier’s daughter Mabu Mbutho is a deputy director at DESTEA with just matric. A deputy director position according to Public Service Regulations requires a national diploma or degree (NQF6 or 7) she was hired by Mahasa allegedly while MEC at DESTEA.

Its also alleged former Kaizer Chiefs player Patrick Mbutho who is Premier’s son-in-law works for Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation was hired as part of the former professional players to provide clinics in schools but he was fired for not coming to work in 2018 only to be reinstated allegedly by Ntombela’s intervention citing how his dismal might cause a rift in the marriage of her daughter and Patrick which according to sources might lead to divorce.

Another source with intimate knowledge told this publication that Patrick Mbutho’s reinstatement had very strict conditions.

“He was reinstated due to pressure from our Premier but the accounting officer at the time put strict on conditions;
He has to come to work everyday,
Supervisory report on what he did,
Attend SAFA coaching courses and produce certificates,
To mentor at least three school.”

Another source told Step Up SA News Patrick is still not coming to work and he cant be touched because mother-in-law is the Premier.

Last week we published an article in which Premier had allegedly irregularly increased a salary of Bongo Nazo who is the manager in Mahasa’s office citing a wrong regulation to justify her unlawful increase and is reported to be a close ally of Ntombela.

In other news Step Up SA News learned Mahlape Ntipe has tendered her resignation as acting Chief Financial Officer allegedly due to how Mahasa and the acting Supply Chain Manager Lazarus Masisi flaw processes.

Ntipe according to sources sent a letter to Mahasa with conditions as to why she would consider acting as CFO and one of the conditions is the department replace Masisi as acting Director SCM.

In September we reported how Mahasa allegedly hand picked a supplier Ginyameko Trading and Projects for unveiling of Fezile Dazi statue and gave the name to Masisi to appoint only for Ntipe and former HOD Kutloano Tlhakudi to refuse signing it as they were of the view that the SCM processes were not followed.

Ginyameko was allegedly given a commitment letter instead of the Purchase Order and it remains to be seen if they will be paid.

Tlhakudi has since been replaced by Zola Thamae her subordinate. That raised lot of questions as Zola is acting 3 levels above her position as her director position is level 13 while HOD position is level 16.

We have since written to Public Service Commission in relation to the appointment of the director as HOD while Vincent Khetha, a Chief Director is overlooked as he isone of two Chief Directors, waiting their response.

It has also come to our attention that DESTEA officials are working hard to find dirt on our journalists in order to discredit this publication, we will not stop digging!

Limakatso Mahasa, MEC for SACR and Tiisetso Makhele, acting Head of Communications at DESTEA did not respond to our questions.