DAMNING: Public Protector finds 27 inadequately qualified candidates were irregularly hired in a tainted recruitment process

By SA Weekly Mirror Reporter

Eight Limpopo provincial government officials – including a head of department and a senior human resources manager – are facing drastic action for their roles in a massive ”jobs-for-pals” racket that took place more than three years ago.

A damning 63-page public protector report has found that the eight officials in the Limpopo Department of Social Development had a hand in one way or another in the irregular and improper appointment of 27 ill-qualified candidates at its two secure youth centres in Polokwane and Mavambe, near Malamulele.

Six of the fingered officials served on the shortlisting and interviewing panels, both of which, according to the report, were approved by then Social Development MEC Nkakareng Rakgoale.

The scandal ensued after Bosasa, a controversial facilities company that had been running the two youth centres on the department’s behalf for several years, was liquidated in the aftermath of state capture revelations in 2019. The department, instead of automatically absorbing the beleaguered company’s employees into its own systems, decided to advertise all the 107 positions, casting the net wider to include external candidates.

However, this move opened the floodgates for officials to bend the recruitment and selection rules and appoint ill-qualified and inexperienced individuals at the expense of those who had requisite skills and qualifications to fill the positions.

Of the 107 vacancies, 98 were for youth care workers and the other nine for team leaders.

In her report, Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka said there was a lack of transparency in the recruitment and selection processes in that some candidates were preferred over others and were appointed without them meeting minimum requirements as set out in the minimum criteria of the advertised posts.

Gcaleka said the amendment and relaxations of the shortlisting criteria by the panel during the shortlisting process were not only unlawful but also had the effect of including candidates who did not qualify to be shortlisted.

“The public protector has observed from the evidence that the selection criteria by the shortlisting panel deviated from the requirements as set out in the advertisement. The shortlisting panel did away with the requirement for a basic ‘qualification in child care. The conduct of the functionaries of the department in this regard did not comply with the provisions of clause 5.2.1.3 of the [department’s recruitment and selection policy], which states that the contents of the advertisement ultimately represent the selection criteria applicable to the filling of the post,” she said in one part of the report. In her remedial action, Gcaleka called on Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha to within four months take “appropriate steps” against Social Development Head of Department Julius Mahopo for not exercising proper oversight on the recruitment process.

In a bizarre twist, the very same Mahopo was directed by the public protector to take action against the department’s Human Resources Deputy Director, MJ Sekgobela, for misguiding the interviewing panel, resulting in the irregular appointment of one of the ill-qualified candidates.

Mahopo was also advised to take “appropriate steps” against the six members of the shortlisting and interviewing panels, identified in the report as EM Monyamane, NG Shikwambani, DL Khwinana, MS Mothapo (Mr), MS Mothapo (Ms) and PW Cholo,

Now, the future of the fingered 27 ill-qualified employees also hangs in the balance as Gcaleka has directed Mahopo to initiate a judicial review process within four months into their irregular appointments.

PUBLIC PROTECTOR HAS LEFT ME IN THE LURCH

GRAFT: No redress for woman after government officials unlawfully kicked her out of her job

By SA Weekly Mirror Reporter

A Limpopo woman who blew the whistle on government officials that manipulated a recruitment and selection process to muscle her out of a job she had held for seven years says she has not found justice from the public protector.

Eunice Makaringe (44), of Polokwane, joined controversial facilities company Bosasa as a youth caregiver at the Polokwane secure youth care centre a few years after graduating from the University of Venda in Limpopo with a BA Social Work degree in youth development.

But Bosasa, to which the Limpopo Social Development Department had outsourced the running of its two secure youth care centres in Polokwane and Mavambe, near Malamulele, collapsed in 2019 under the weight of devastating state capture allegations.

The department then took over the direct running of the two centres but decided to advertise all the 107 positions.

“I duly submitted my application. In fact, I was, for all intents and purposes, reapplying for my own position, a job I had been doing competently and diligently for seven years.

I believed that, with my relevant university qualifications on top of that, I ticked all the right boxes,” Makaringe said.

“Imagine my shock and disappointment to learn later that I did not make the cut. What shocked me even more was the fact that the candidate who was appointed in my position only had a matric certificate and zero experience in youth care and development.”

Makaringe said she knew, despite her qualifications and experience, that she was not entitled to the position.

“But, surely, if it was suitability they were looking for, they should have appointed a person who was better qualified and more experienced than I was.

“I immediately knew I was a victim of a ‘jobs-for-pals’ scandal of some sort. The whole thing stunk to high heavens. That’s why I approached the public protector in March 2021. I did that for two reasons: to expose the rot that poisoned that particular recruitment and selection process and to seek redress as this malfeasance had a heavy emotional toll on me,” said Makaringe.

As a result, she spent two years without a job, suffered a mental breakdown and found herself swimming in a sea of debt.

Gcaleka found in her 63-page report following a three-year investigation that 27 of the candidates who were appointed to the positions – 18 care workers and nine team leaders – did not meet the minimum criteria specified in the jobs’ advertisement.

She, however, confirmed Makaringe’s suitability for the position.

“The evidence at the public protector’s disposal indicates that the complainant (Makaringe) met the minimum requirements for the post as she possessed a Grade 12 certificate [and] a Bachelor of Arts degree in Youth Development and had seven years relevant experience. Her shortlisting and invitation to the interview were carried out in accordance with the law.”

However, the report further states: “The amendment of the shortlisting criteria by the panel during the shortlisting process had the effect of including candidates who in fact did not qualify to be shortlisted in terms of the criteria in the advertisement.”

Although Gcaleka has in her report called for action to be taken against the government officials involved, she has suggested no relief for the aggrieved Makaringe, who is now pursuing her career elsewhere after two years in the wilderness.

Makaringe raised the issue with Gcaleka when she realised that her interim report was silent on the personal redress issue. In her response in the final report, Gcaleka simply said:

“The public protector is not empowered to take the kind of remedial action requested by the complainant in as far the personal redress claimed.”

In conclusion, the exasperated Makaringe asked: “If the public protector cannot protect the public against such brazen hooliganism, who is going to protect the public? She did not even suggest what action I could take to find closure. She just left me in the lurch.”

She added that, in her opinion, the real question the public protector could not find answers to was on whose behalf were the fingered officials working.