Staff Reporter
Bloemfontein – In what is increasingly becoming a case of “chalk and cheese” whenever Joyce “Pretenders” Mathae, Free State Premier, opens her mouth, the evidence appears to tell a completely different story.
During the Provincial Women’s Management meeting on Friday, Mathae urged women to refuse to remain bridesmaids when leadership positions are available.
She went further, emphasising the importance of practical institutional support for women, including aftercare facilities for children.
TALK IS CHEAP
But while Mathae speaks about empowering women, events within her administration appear to paint a very different picture.
Last month, Mathae wanted to reshuffle Zanele Sifuba, Mathabo Leeto and Dibolelo Mance, simply because Leeto and Mance have ambitions of contesting her at the upcoming provincial conference.
Mathae also targeted two female Heads of Department, Mosa Masemene and Masechaba Sesing.
Now, her alleged targets are Dr Masego Tshabalala and Millicent Setlai, both women…..
Under Mathae, Teboho “Sulky” Mokoena has targeted women, and the most concerning part is that Mathae has enabled it instead of stopping him.
Mokoena transferred Kgopotso Moahlodi and Carol Tladi from COGTA and Human Settlements respectively, with Mathae currently hosting them in her office.
Mokoena also transferred CFO Nozipho Molikoe to the Department of Social Development earlier this year and replaced her with Edward Kotjomela who had just be been appointed a director few days earlier.
What is even more concerning is that Mokoena’s spin doctor, Zimasa Mbewu, a Director, appears to be following in her boss’s footsteps by abusing women at Human Settlements.
Security is allegedly unleashed on employees at inHuman Settlements.
The short and fat guy is fully in charge of Provincial Government.
On the 1 June, the department forcefully transferred employees as per the memo in possession and Motsima who according to the memo has been transferred is stil in office.
This is the same man we sent questions about his alleged sexual harassment case at Setsoto Local Municipality and confiscation of phones after his audio pulling Dada Morero on a journalist was leaked, he unleashed lawyers, we will come back to him because we don’t back down from clowns.
That story will never disappear.
Behind the cameras, lights and speeches about women empowerment, the picture emerging from within the administration appears to be the complete opposite.
The question is therefore whether Mathae’s public commitment to women empowerment is merely rhetoric while, behind closed doors, women who occupy positions of influence are allegedly being targeted, transferred and sidelined.
Women are not asking for bridesmaid positions. They are asking for an administration whose actions match its speeches.
Women are suffering worse under Mathae than during apartheid.
There is a pattern of abuse of power and harassment in at least four departments.
Social Development and Community Safety, Roads and Transport also embarked on this and it didn’t end well but time will tell.
If you have power to decide lives of innocent people, remember they have families and you also have family. Be careful.
When you leave government office you are on your own, look over your shoulder always or those of your loved ones (kids). Le tla bona bona Dada Morero.
One day you will go to work vertically and return home horizontally and your kids will be without a parent.
ANCWL is dead silent.
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