AGSA dead silent on costs attached to review PSC report

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – The Free State Department of Education is making headlines again, this time, over taxpayers’ money on legal advice.

Following a Public Service Commission (PSC) report released in November 2022, at least two senior officials fingered in the report, sought legal advice over the possibility of reviewing the commission’s report.

In 2021 we reported how Fanie Sithole, erstwhile Deputy Director General for Corporate Affairs was moved to the District Curriculum and was replaced by Bob Tladi in acting capacity.

Tladi then allegedly hired Zoleka Msibi irregularly.

It was Msibi’s story we published that lifted the lid on appointments at Free State Education and opened a can of worms.

A complaint was filed by an employee, JJ Wessels, with the PSC at Free State Education, and a total of 21 cases of irregular appointments were investigated including the appointment of Cecil Ngwenya who is a convicted criminal.

The PSC report found the appointment of Msibi and Ngwenya irregular and recommended they should be corrected accordingly with PSC’s Guide to Correct Irregular Appointments.

• promptly engage the employee who was irregularly appointed to correct the irregular appointment,
• if no agreement is reached with the employee, the department should approach the labor court to set aside such a decision in terms of section 158 (1) (h) of the Labor Court Act 66 of 1995 as amended. To review the matter at the labor court, the office of the State Attorney should be approached to assist the department in instituting the review of proceedings without delay

The PSC further recommended disciplinary action against Tladi and members of the selection committee who incorrectly recommended that the second-best candidate be approved.

Instead, Tladi and Ngwenya allegedly sought legal advice to review the PSC report using state funds estimated to be just over R500 000.

While the department is still studying the November 2022 report as per Howard Ndaba, spokesperson’s comment., what is AGSA doing?

The Auditor General of South Africa is dead silent on the costs attached to the review of the Public Commission’s report and who authorized it.

In other news within Free State Education, the wife of Chief Director responsible for Infrastructure, Thato Nthunya has been employed by the department.

This was confirmed by Howard Ndaba.

“Mr Nthunya’s wife is an employee of the department. All correct and applicable recruitment and selection processes were followed in terms of public service regulations. She applied for the post and met its requirements like any South African who has the constitutional right to be fairly employed by the state.”

What is it that she does and who is her direct line?

We will figure this out in weeks to come but history has taught us to take responses from Free State Education with a pinch of salt.

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