Central SA
Free State department still without HOD─── TSHEHLA KOTELI 10:27 Sat, 08 Apr 2023
The Free State Department of Sports, Art, Culture and Recreation is still without a departmental head (HOD).
MEC Limakatso Mahasa announced during the tabling of her 2023/24 budget that the post remains vacant. However, Premier Mxolisi Dukwana will in the next few months make an appointment.
It is understood the acting HOD is Tsoarelo Malakoane, who happens to be the HOD for the Department of Education. Malakoane replaces Zola Thamae, who has been acting in the position for over a year. The appointment was initially supposed to be filled by October 2022.
ALSO READ: Thamae continues to act as Free State HOD
The department is not the only one without a head, as the position in the departments of Social Development and Community Safety, Roads and Transport also remains vacant.
Mahasa announced during her budget speech at the Phuthaditjhaba Multi-Purpose Hall in QwaQwa that the department filled the position of the Director for Library Services in the previous financial year after it was vacant for a long time.
“We should soon finalise the appointment of the Director for Human Resource Management and the Chief Financial Officer. The posts for the two were advertised and shortlists conducted,” said Mahasa.
Training and development have in the 2023/24 financial year also been prioritised through the provision of bursaries to officials and the creation of opportunities for internships and learnerships.
ALSO READ: Free State to appoint remaining HODs by end of October
Allegations surfaced from an anonymous source that Thamae is permanently appointed as the director of the department. However, it is alleged someone else has been appointed to act in her permanent position while she (Thamae) is acting as the HOD.
It is further alleged that she is getting paid an acting director's salary. The spokesperson of the previous premier Sisi Ntombela, Palesa Chubisi did not supply answers to these allegations.
In an attempt to uncover the truth about the abovementioned allegations and the legality of two consecutive terms of acting as an HOD, an enquiry was sent to the departmental spokesperson Tankiso Zola which was not answered.
