Staff reporter
Bloemfontein – The Department of Education in Free State has come out guns blazing defending the appointments of MEC’s children in panels framework.
This follows accusations by staff that Dr Maki “Mathlabs” Maboya is abusing her powers and has her hands in the cookie jar.
According to insiders, Mabuya brought Andrew Moeti, Chief Director: Infrastructure back to Education from Community Safety, Roads and Transport (CSR&T) as soon as she was appointed MEC post national and provincial government elections.
Moeti’s move to CSR&T when Joyce “Pretenders” Mathae became MEC in 2023 raised eyebrows but we will connect the dots.….. in due course.
Sources say Moeti is even paying contractors linked to Maboya and Mathae, a position supported by at least three contractors who were not paid last week.
Another source said the departure of Dr Monyane from Education was to make way for Moeti to take full control.
Monyane’s move is another thorn as his acting as Chief Director at Health hardly three months after his appointment as director questionable.
“The arrival of Andrew Moeti in the Department of Education caused a serious blow for other officials, some requested to leave the Department for better working environments like Dr Monyane who felt like MEC Mamiki Mabuya is putting her hands inside infrastructure tenders too much by forcing them to appoint her own children to benefit.
We have evidence that shows what is happening in the Department of Education infrastructure under Moeti, who has since sidelined Mkenku from procurements because he didn’t follow orders, many in infrastructure are planning to leave because of interference that MEC Mamiki Maboya planned for her own people with Moeti.“
Howard Ndaba, spokesperson for Department of Education said MEC’s child was included in the panels before she became an MEC
“It must be pointed here that every individual in this country has a constitutional right to seek employment and solicit legitimate work from any department and organization irrespective of who they are related to or associated with.
We further place on record that the framework of contractors has been established since 2023 long before the MEC.”
STEPUPSANEWS can confirm in 2023, about 387 contractors were included in the framework after several extensions of BID NUMBER: BID E1/2023/2024.
Another child was allegedly included after Maboya was appointed as MEC under Moeti. In essence, two of MEC Maboya’s children have contracts with her department which is a clear conflict of interest made worse by the fact that MEC brought the same person responsible for Infrastructure from CSR&T to Education.
Andrew Moeti, Chief Director: Infrastructure at Department of Education didn’t respond to our questions including which companies were paid last week and his transfers to and from CSR&T.
In other related news, South African Democratic Teachers Union embarked on a peaceful march last week giving MEC Maboya 14 days to respond to their issues in relation to the Lindiwe Sedibe, district director in Thabo Mofutsanyane that she must be fired.
Interestingly, SADTU was dead silent when employees at Mangaung district complained about December Moloi, not even a statement was issued.
Could it be December and Bricks are related?
The last time SADTU made such demands was in 2021 when it gave the department 7 days to respond to SADTU PEC on irregular appointments and a convicted criminal employed by the department we reported on. Four years later SADTU has never uttered a word despite PSC confirming irregular appointments.
Other than that, SADTU only made noise when it demanded Mxolisi Dukwana fire Tshediso Mangope after his Facebook posts about teachers.
Mangope who was working for COGTA at the time shared a picture of his son at Grey College with a caption clearly stating no magwinya and atchaar eating SADTU person will teach my children.
This is developing story as Moeti is also linked to the Pothole Eradication Program.
If you have news or tips please email news@stepupsanews.co.za or WhatsApp 0685000246
As CHERMARKS Holdings we have a complaint against Fezile Dabi Education District, we completed work at one of the school (JJ KUBHEKA PRIMARY SCHOOL) on the 13 March 2024 to date we not been paid for the work done. The work entailed removal of old fence, gate and replacing it with new Clearview fances that included new poles, gate and fence itself.