While the Free State Provincial Government is dead silent over the alleged 94 senior managers without minimum requirements as revealed by Minister Nxesi earlier this year, we are tracking them one by one.
The Acting Minister of Public Service and Administration Thembelani Thulas Nxesi made the information known when he was asked by a member of the National Assembly, Mimmy Martha Gondwe, about the breakdown of senior managers in the public service without qualifications.
According to the reply, the department qualifications in the Free State Province with the most senior managers without the required qualifications is the Department of Agriculture, with 16 senior managers, followed by the Department of Education with 14, the Department of Health with 13, and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) with 9.
The reply further includes that the Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Destea) has 8, whereas the Office of the Premier has 7, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has 6, the Department of Social Development also has 6, the Department of Police, Roads and Transport has 5, the Department of Finance/Treasury also has 5, the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation has 3, and the Department with the least senior managers without required qualifications is the Department of Human Settlements, with 2.
Step UP SA News investigation discovered a senior official in the Office of Premier who is a Chief Financial Officer/Chief Director does not have the minimum requirements for that position.
A Chief Director position is NQF level 7 according to positions advertised online when we checked.
According to his CV in possession of this publication, Sello Martins has National Diploma in Banking which is level 6 obtained from the University of Johannesburg, and is currently studying towards his honors at the University of Free State.
While FSPG is adamant that some of its officials have updated their qualifications on PERSAL some were appointed in positions they do not qualify for.
While these employees do not have the minimum required qualifications they did not hire themselves and the constitutional court has held that appointments made irregularly are not automatically null and void, because the appointed candidates have labor rights, it should be noted that section 5(7)(a) of Public Service Act provides for functionaries to correct any act or omission made in terms of the Public Service Act by a functionary, if the action or omission was based on error or fact or law or fraud and it is in the public interest to correct the action or omission.
Is Kopung Ralikontsane, Director General, and all HODs correcting these appointments as per the Public Service Act or oksalayooo?
In other news FSPG and CUT have partnered with NEMISA to train ten thousand youth, hopefully this will not be turned into another EPWP where families and friends will be beneficiaries.
Kopung Ralikontsane did not respond to our questions.
This is a developing story.
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Chief Director Selai in the Department of Police, Roads & Transport was appointeid in 2013 as the Chief Director Corporate Services without a degree and relevant experience.
Is is the same with Chief Director Ramotsoto – a former prison warder and shop steward who was eventually appointed as a chief director of traffic around 2015
Social Development- Thabo Mahlaba Deputy Director Labour Relations suspended for investigating corruption against Chief Director Corporate Services.