Good Governance and Integrity (GGI): Public Protector classified probe into Treasury HoD over Standard Bank contract

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – Following the article last week in which we published Public Service Commission investigations into the alleged misconduct of Masechaba Sesing, over the recruitment of Director: Fiscal Policy, there is another probe by the Public Protector.

According to the letter to Public Protector, the complainant alleges Sesing had misrepresented information in the Standard Bank contract by:

• backdating the letter that extended the Standard Bank contract with Provincial Treasury. The initial submission requesting for the extension of the banking services contract was approved by acting HoD Sesing on 13 January 2022
• the letter informing Standard Bank of the extension of the contract was signed off with the date of 24 December 2021

In addition, the complainant alleges Sesing called some of the senior managers to inform them that she will not be backdating the contract.

“It’s also concerning to me as an employee that the acting HoD called a meeting with some of the senior management informing them that she was not going to backdate the same extension, yet went to do exactly that. In attendance among other managers was the CFO, Chief Director SRM, Former Director of Internal Audit, SCM, and Corporate Services.”

In conclusion, the complainant cites victimization and the risk thereof as the reason they went anonymous.

“I am writing this to the office of the Public Protector realizing that I could be victimized for reporting this matter. For this reason, I will remain anonymous.”

In other new the Free State High court have ordered Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation to pay Consumer Connectedness R3.3m of Macufe invoice while the appeal in Supreme Court of Appeal is pending, the judg also ordered the department to pay costs.

Ndili Msoki, acting spokesperson for Public Protector confirmed the investigations.

“ The Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) confirms receipt of the said complaint on 04 April 2023.

The matter has been classified as a Good Governance and Integrity (GGI) matter and is still under investigation.

Asked for further details Msoki said.

“No further information regarding the matter may be provided at this stage as, in terms of section 7(2) of the Public Protector Act, the disclosure, by any person, of the contents of any document or record of any evidence given before the Public Protector or Deputy Public Protector during an investigation, is prohibited.”

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