While we celebrate Child Protection Week with a poor ratio of one social worker for hundred kids to look after, the very same social workers at Free State department are disgruntled.
The Department of Social Development in the Free State province is yet again in the spotlight and it is not for spending R500 000 on 20 laptops or closing down pads manufacturing company in Qwaqwa or the missing R2.5 million of EPWP money but for a job for pals once again.
The allegations from a frustrated employee date back to 2020 when ten (10) social work positions for three districts and two (02) social work for Charlotte Maxeke Substance Abuse Treatment Centre were advertised.
According to three independent sources who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimization a Social Auxilliary Worker whose name is known to this publication but we will call him Max* with 9 years experience at Social Development was unfairly treated allegedly by the MEC, Mamiki Qabathe.
This was corroborated by another source who said the MEC Mamiki Qabathe said the appointment of Max* at Charlotte Maxeke Substance Abuse Centre be reversed.
“After the interview, he was appointed at Charlotte Maxeke Substance Abuse Treatment Centre but MEC Qabathe removed his name because she wanted a Social Worker born and bred from Botshabelo. Now the top achiever was out in the cold.”
In the interviews for district positions, he also performed well but was allegedly removed by Freddy Finger, Director: HR.
According to another source Finger allegedly instructed junior staff to remove his name from the 5 to be appointed social workers at Lemo Mall because he wanted to appoint the wife of his colleague, Adv Daniel Tsotetsi who is a director of Legal Services at Social Development.
The wife in question is Mantatisi Tsotetsi who is married to Daniel Tsotetsi, Director of Legal Services at Social Development was employed by Social Development as her husband’s driver through a submission according to sources.
“Manthatisi was appointed as her husband’s driver through a submission a month before social work posts were advertised.
She would drive him to work and go home to sleep only to come back at 16h00 to pick him up. When we had to attend other engagements during the day he will ask to be dropped by other colleagues while the appointed driver is at home.”
Tsotetsi started her new job as a social worker in March and it’s not known who has been hired as a driver for Daniel Tsotetsi.
According to sources she has never worked as a social worker before nor practiced in social development and it’s alleged Nelisiwe Ntombela, acting Chief Director knows how the scores of Max* were reduced so Manthatisi can be appointed after performing badly.
The reason advanced by sources as to why Ntombela allegedly looked away is because Tsotetsi who is a director of legal services does her dirty work.
“Mrs. Ntombela knows that the Social Auxiliary Worker scores were reduced but did nothing because this director does her dirty job of shifting and redeploying officials in the government.
People were removed from institutions by Mrs. Ntombela with legal advice from this director and now institutions are collapsing to the worst.”
Last year we reported on how a Supply Chain Manager was charged by the same social development on frivolous charges and he has acquitted on 2 the first two charges and the department did not continue.
More sadly there has been a mass exodus of SMS and Middle management after the departure of Moahloli(CFO), Maureen(Director of NPOs), Lehasa, and Khantsi allegedly because of the behavior of the acting HOD, Adv Phahlo.
Phahlo is not new to the controversy around staff matters as he allegedly charged those who were competing with him for the HoD job.
Advocate Tumelo Phahlo, acting HOD for Social Development did not respond to our questions which included who is now Tsotetsi’s driver that her driver and wife has been appointed as a social worker and how long Premier’s daughter-in-law will be acting.
Max* not his real name.
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Charlotte Maxeke Treatment Center is one year two months old but its owing electricity how come, even now we do not have electricity we relying on the diesel generator, why can’t they take that money they buy diesel with and pay electricity, just imagine 1000 litres cost R30 000 last for 2 days and since from 13 April no electricity, I think this is a deal to stole government money as they appointed a service provider to provide with diesel
Thank you for the update, but please improve your grammar and punctuation. It makes it very hard to understand the “article” when it is just a combination of words.
You stated that your sources gave statements, but you did not qoute them. Also if you do not have concrete proof of information, then it is all alleged. This whole piece sounds personal and directed at specific people. The purpose of is not clear to me and if poeple have all this information, it should rather be used to open a grievances. This to me is no different from “outoilet” or “spoegmynaat”.