This after the acting minister of Public Service and Administration, Thulas Nxesi, in August revealed that 94 senior managers in the Free State Government’s departments are without the required qualifications for those positions, with seven being in the Office of the Premier.

The information was made known by the Parliamentary Monitoring Group after a member of the National Assembly, Mimmy Martha Gondwe, asked for the breakdown of senior managers in the public service without qualifications within South Africa.

The spokesperson for the Office of the Premier in the Free State, Palesa Chubisi, says the findings come after they had reviewed the managers’ qualifications. However, even after their findings, they will conduct a Persal and Vulindlela clean up to update their qualifications on the system.

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The provincial department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), which according to the reply has nine senior managers without the required qualifications, said through its spokesperson, Sello Dithebe, that at the moment it could not confirm which managers those are and which teams they lead.

Dithebe, who also speaks for the department of Human Settlements, which was said to have two senior managers without qualifications, says he believes that the Minister has answered truthfully, but the details of which officials are without qualifications are not clear.

“MEC Mxolisi Dukwana, who heads the two departments, has a strong standing point that we must always abide by the law,” he adds.

The Department of Social Development was said to have six senior managers without the required qualifications, and the departmental spokesperson, Lindiwe Mnguni, states that they can confirm that according to the department’s records, they do not have any senior managers without relevant qualifications.

The minister’s reply further revealed that there were six senior managers in Public Works and Infrastructure without the required qualifications. Spokesperson Mlu Maqubela says that after consulting with the department’s human resources manager, he can confirm that all the senior managers at the department hold South African accredited qualifications.

ALSO READ: Ntombela appoints two female HODs in her cabinet

Meanwhile, Friday, 2 September 2022 saw appointments of multiple heads of departments in the Free State, with the majority being women.

The appointments came after it came to light earlier this year that most of the HOD positions in the province were not permanently filled.

However, even after the appointments of Masechaba Sesing as the Provincial Treasury’s head, and Mosa Masitha as the HOD of Human Settlements, a few departments in the province still remain with acting HODs.

Tshepiso Ramakarane is Mokete Duma’s successor as the HOD of Cogta.

The departments, which Premier Sisi Ntombela, said she will in the near future appoint permanent HODs for are the department of Police, Roads and Transport, Social Development, and Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation as the appointments are currently being finalised.

ALSO READ: Current FS Health HOD is in cuffs

The National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) in the Free State has previously expressed its disappointment when it comes to the acting HOD of Health, Godfrey Mahlatsi retaining his position in the department even with the charges he faces.

The union at the time had hopes that Ntombela will eventually practice the principles of consequence management and suspend Mahlatsi.

OFM News reported in February 2022 that Mahlatsi has been added as a suspect in an alleged tender fraud case worth R8 million.

The alleged fraud dates back to when he was an accounting officer between 2014 and 2017. Mahlatsi is alongside 16 other officials, including his predecessor, David Motau.

Following Motau’s arrest, he was promptly suspended from his role as the registrar of the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA).

It is further alleged that there is no evidence that the service providers in question carried out the work after they received millions from the Health Department.

ALSO READ: Free State's foremost trauma hospital appoints new acting head

The movements of senior managers within departments received attention again recently with the appointment of a temporary Chief Executive Officer for the Free State’s foremost trauma hospital, the Pelonomi Hospital.

OFM News recently learned that Tsietsi Makume has been appointed acting CEO.

Makume’s predecessor is Baesi Ramodula, who Mahlatsi announced to have been moved out of the hospital, while she was on sick leave.

Ramodula was at the time moved to provincial health headquarters Bophelo House to manage health’s programs.

At the time of publishing, the other departments mentioned by the minister’s reply have not given OFM News a comment, but did acknowledge receipt of the media inquiries.

The minister’s reply stated the department in the Free State with the most senior managers without the required qualifications is the Department of Agriculture, with 16 senior managers, followed by the Department of Education with 14, the Department of Health with 13.

The reply further includes that the Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Destea) has eight, the Department of Police, Roads, and Transport five, the Department of Finance and Treasury also five, and the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation had three.

OFM News