Appointment of Director of SCM raises eyebrows at Free State Health

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – The appointment of Advocate Mokhobo as acting Director of Supply Chain Management at Free State Health is raising an eyebrow at what could be at play.

Mokgobo joined Health from Education despite her transfer allegedly being rejected by the Provincial Treasury for financial reasons but another plan was hatched, she was seconded within days.

An email in possession of this publication sent by Carien Nel reads.

“It is with pleasure that inform you that Advocate K. S Mokhobo has been appointed as the Acting Director: Supply Chain Management at Corporate Office for the period of 8 January 2024 – until 07 April 2024.”

Her second to Health in November 2023, pushed erstwhile acting Deputy Director, Sethunya back to the assistant director position.

Now her acting as Director is pushing Simon Thulo out of SCM, Thulo is a permanent employee of the department with vast experience in SCM having worked at Treasury, Social Development, and COGTA.

It is alleged before the advertisement for the Chief Director position was put out, the two names were presented to the ANC deployment committee by the MEC of Health and it was in the same meeting that she allegedly said she wanted Sinah January as Chief Director and she was appointed.

It was also revealed that MEC told the deployment committee that she wants a director and indicated that the person works as a deputy director at Free State Education.

In October, a deputy director of Education submitted a transfer request and before the request was approved she had already migrated to Health.

A source from Education alleges the secondment was done by the two MECs a strange thing considering this is for a Deputy Director.

In terms of HR Delegations, 2017, the approval of the transfer of officials on levels 1-14 is delegated to the HOD.

Another matter PSC should give clarity to.

Howard Ndaba, spokesperson for Free State Education confirmed that Advocate Mokhobo took both transfer and secondment to Health.

“Adv Mokhobo took a transfer and seconded out of her own volition.

This is in line with Public Service Regulations on transfers.

This was done in line with the law between two departments.”

With a director position vacant following the appointment of January, what was allegedly discussed at the ANC deployment committee is unfolding without shame as the position is set to be advertised and your guess is as good as ours who will be permanently appointed as director SCM.

In November we did ask Mondli Mvambi if Advocate Mokhobo’s name was also discussed at the deployment committee and he did not respond.

We also asked if former director HR, Bebula was to be replaced by Paseka Mosole who joined Health from Sport, Arts and Recreation, but that as well was not responded to.

Bebula has since left Health and assumed a Director position.

Mosole was Leeto’s PA while she was MEC of SACR, he, together with Dibolelo Hou reconnected with Leeto at Health, and it allegedly their move to Health is on higher scales than they were at SACR, and top notches for that matter.

They are also allegedly not placed in the MEC office but in the department, meaning they moved to health only to act in positions in the structure.

Under Leeto, Free State Health has made shocking human resources decisions including having two DDGs for Clinical Services.

The Department of Health has taken a decision not to respond to our inquiries, this is on record and we will not stop writing about it.

In other news, the Free State High Court ordered the same department to pay a family R5 million after their child lost his life two days after his birth due to negligence.

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