Publications
Partners
On Friday, when the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) closed its Braamfontein, Johannesburg, office for the holidays, the break couldn’t have come soon enough for more than a dozen members of staff, who have told City Press of a gruelling year during which they constantly feared for their jobs because of a climate of “bullying” and “intimidation” since Lulama Nare became chair in October last year.
Sources say Nare was still on the warpath last week in an attempt to find the sources of City Press’ investigation.
They say Nare, who has an office at the commission’s headquarters, does not tolerate others speaking in meetings, constantly undermines chief executive officer Keketso Maema, meddles in operations, and yells at staff and threatens to fire them.
The CGE strongly denied the staff’s claims that were reported in City Press last week, and explained that Nare was trying to create a space for dialogue when rapping Kendrick Lamar’s lines “b*tches be humble” to staff at a management meeting, but replacing the word ‘b*itches’ with “la la la”.
Disciplinary action
Last Tuesday, according to a document seen by City Press, Nare called a sudden plenary of commissioners while Maema was away in Malaysia.
Sources say that this was not Nare’s only attempt to suspend Maema recently, but, this time, she wanted her suspended while it was investigated whether Maema leaked information to City Press.
The commissioners did not support her proposal.
A “memo” to City Press was sent by the CGE on Thursday night explaining that the commission had been having discussions so that “all parties affected by the article work together ... to ensure that we are able to function with stability and efficiency”.
It says the CGE “intends to create a platform from which internal stakeholders may raise their concerns without fear”.
Yet the memo is clear about the leaks, especially of documents, saying: “This breach of confidentiality will be dealt with using existing disciplinary policies.”
Letter to the president
To the dismay of many staff members who spoke to City Press, Nare has been clear that she will see them again next year, even though her five-year term ends on December 31.
The date was confirmed by the director of communications at the department of women, Shalen Gajadhar, and is also apparently the subject of a president’s minute signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This led to Nare writing a letter to the president, which City Press has a copy of.
In it, Nare insists that there was an administrative error and that her term and that of two other commissioners should, in fact, continue to March.
She writes that the error “is likely to result in a legal challenge”.
Sources say Nare told commissioners that they would all go to meet with the president to clarify the matter.
She is understood to have applied for a third term at the CGE, despite its governing act stipulating commissioners may only serve two terms.
Records show Nare was appointed for a first term in June 2012, resigned in 2013 and returned for a second term in 2014.
The commission did not respond to questions on her tenure or her letter to Ramaphosa last week, nor to the new claims of intimidation.
Gajadhar said: “Extending Ms Nare’s term beyond five years would be contrary to the act, [but] Nare’s appointment is done by the president.”
When asked, all the presidency would say was that it “will be communicating with Ms Nare on this matter”.
Abuse of resources
City Press has heard numerous further claims against Nare, including allegations of her not allowing cleaning staff to sit in the only available corridor space because it is too close to a boardroom and reception area.
There are also claims of her abusing the CGE’s car fleet and drivers.
City Press has obtained documentary evidence of more than 1 000km worth of trips taken by Nare, including transporting her between her home and the office, which is not allowed for in the CGE’s rules as she receives a car allowance for this purpose.
While there is a car assigned to the chair for CGE functions, sources claim Nare also uses it to travel to meetings not related to the CGE.
She is also deputy chair of the Tshwane University of Technology council and chair of the board of the National Skills Authority.
The CGE did not comment on where cleaners are expected to sit at the CGE, but denied the claims of fleet abuse.
“Your sources are misleading you,” wrote the commissioners.
“There is a vehicle allocated to be used by the chairperson. As commissioners, we are happy with that arrangement. If there are any claims that Nare uses the vehicle for personal reasons, we will appreciate if that information can be submitted to the chief executive for her to table to the commissioners.”
