WeeklySA_AdminALARM: Precautionary suspensions of Sassa boss and Exxaro CEO this week cast a shadow on drive to redress historical gender inequality in private and public sector…
By Mpikeleni Duma
As we reflect on “the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”, it is imperative for women of South Africa to also intentionally shine the spotlight on ongoing psychological violence meted out generally to them, especially to those serving in the ANC led government.
Prompting this sentiment are this week’s cases of precautionary suspension involving the Sassa CEO Totsie Memela-Khambule and that of EXXARO CEO Nombasa Tsengwa this week, which would have caught the public unawares and serve to signal a worrying trend.
In Memela-Khambule’s case, a cryptic statement was released by the Ministry for Social Development, belatedly and inexplicably raising flags about her appointment, which took place five years and six months ago.
Describing it as a “wrong appointment” by those who are supposed to understand government processes and procedures in the appointment of senior government officials and CEOs, is a serious indictment on those behind Memela-Khambule’s suspension and the apparent silence of those who should be intervening in the wake of the astonishing turn of events.
By now, it should be general knowledge that these appointments of such seniority are endorsed by the Cabinet. Therefore, it is impossible for any CEO to appoint herself and unilaterally decide on her salary.
In addition, the entire appointment process is documented and accessible so that when questions are raised down the line, evidence becomes available to respond appropriately to questions. Based on this, how could Memela-Khambule have conceivably interfered with the process after the fact.
Furthermore, the impact of how suspensions with full pay negatively affect service delivery must not be ignored, because those that are placed on acting positions tend to be overstretched as they juggle many responsibilities.
Flanks end up being opened to all sorts of challenges. And, in addition, this leads to the unnecessary erosion of the capacity within the organisation.
Ideally, it would have been best had the current and former Minister of Social Development to have had a conversation on this matter before this drastic action was taken.
After all, they both come from the same party, the African National Congress. Most importantly, this would have also provided the former Minister Lindiwe Zulu with the opportunity to indicate the responses given to the Public Protector when this matter was supposedly raised in 2022.
This would have prevented the tarnishing of Memela-Khambule’s image. Therefore, this state of affairs requires the Public Protector to take the people of South Africa into her confidence by disclosing the so-called facts proffered by those who requested the investigation to be conducted, in the first place. On the surface, it would seem there’s smoke and mirrors about the whole cloak-and-dagger situation. Anyway, the only person who can resolve this debacle is the Public Prosecutor herself, from whose office – we are made to believe – this scenario began.
Thirty years into democracy, it’s indeed heartbreaking to note that the road to women acting in unison to support each other and defend their democratic rights is still very long.
Therefore, in seeking to promote accountability, ethical leadership and good governance, we can only hope that Tolashe will publicly reveal whether the reasons behind the placing of Memela-Khambule on suspension are due to incompetence, fraud and corruption. The fact that none of these are mentioned explicitly in the media statement has almost certainly given rise to public conjecture, damaging her image further.
SASSA, as an institution, has experienced fraud and corruption since its inception, resulting in fraudsters and other criminals serving sentences and facing charges.
Furthermore, Sassa has been assuring the public that international control mechanisms are continuously being reviewed within the organisation as the criminal elements continually up their game.
At this juncture in the history of our beloved country, all South Africans must deepen and entrench constitutionally enshrined democratic principles by collectively recommitting themselves to fight and stop all forms of immoral behaviour, and collusion with criminals.
Today, Sassa faces a myriad challenges, including the problem of identity theft which leads to the receipt of grants by wrong people. Which emphasises the imperative for the agency to be equal to these challenges – and, not least, protect its integrity and organisational capacity not to be compromised by political interference.
Let it be known that it is deeply concerning to witness what seems a veiled attempt at projecting Memela-Khambule as a corrupt individual, when those who know her well will attest to the contrary.
If anything, she has – throughout her tenure as Sassa chief executive – exhibited bold and ethical leadership. These characteristics are true of a war time revolutionary, who is prepared to get her hands dirty in pursuit of the desired outcomes against all odds.
Moving on, we reimagine and commit to the South Africa that we were fighting for; that is, a country that is just, safe , equal , diverse and inclusive by reigniting the spirit of no surrender as we fight for a reset to get us back on track.
* Mpikeleni Duma is a freelance journalist with decades’ experience in mainstream media
