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The minister wants the communications budget to be centralised in her office, vexing senior managers
Human Settlement, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s instruction that the communications budget be “centralised” in her office has raised eyebrows among disgruntled senior managers who are suspicious that the intention is to use public money to fund her future political ambitions in the ANC.
City Press learnt that Sisulu held a meeting with the communications team in Cape Town on September 18, when she complained about the failures of the communications directorate “over the past six months”, particularly the “hostile and insubordinate” conduct of the chief director in charge, Julies Nale.
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Among the requests the minister made during the meeting was that the communications budget be centralised in the ministry.
“This has not happened,” Sisulu wrote in November to Mbulelo Tshangana, the department’s acting director-general.
She requested an investigation into the communications directorate and that disciplinary steps be taken against Nale.
She said Nale had failed to prepare for the initial media launch of the Water and Sanitation Master Planon November 18.
“This is a clear case of insubordination and I require you to commence with disciplinary steps against [Nale],” said Sisulu, adding that Nale would be taking a week off “so that when these matters are dealt with, all due processes are observed”.
Tshangana said on Thursday that Nale was on precautionary suspension for serious charges in supply chain management and that an investigation was under way.
He said the communications side of human settlements worked smoothly with the ministry, but “there is no harmony on the side of water and sanitation”.
READ: Lindiwe Sisulu faces backlash over R900bn water master plan
He said he had the sole discretion to decide on any necessary budget transfers and “there has been no need to transfer the budget because it is under one programme [communications]”.
Tshangana said the communications directorate in the department was allowed to use its budget to support the communication activities of the ministry because the latter had a smaller budget.
“All that is required is leadership in both departments to support the executive authority. Because work is done in the administration, the executive authority should be thoroughly prepared in every engagement. There is no budget that is being transferred and take that from me.”
Nale declined to comment and referred questions to the department.
But those sympathetic to her said her resistance to “transfer the funds to the ministry” was because she did not want public funds to be used for Sisulu’s so-called LS2022 campaign for the ANC presidency.
Insiders said that at one meeting Nale told Mphumzi Mdekazi, chief director of stakeholder relations in Sisulu’s office, “that he can go to hell [because] she is not going to be part of a political campaign using state money”.
According to documents, Nale had also been vocal against a R45 million contract given to a company called Empowering Water Solution because she felt the department had internal capacity to do the same work.
Sisulu appointed the company on October 28 as an “emergency intervention” to do sand water extraction in drought-stricken areas in Limpopo.
In an email to Sisulu, dated November 13, ministerial spokesperson Makhosini Mgitywa said that Nale had “openly questioned the decision to use water extraction technology.
This amounted to rabble-rousing which is not consistent with the strategic position she holds.
“She was actively undermining executive decisions and instructions with which officials junior to her had to respect and comply.”
Mgitywa said he was “reliably informed that [Nale] has ... instructed her staff to support only the deputy minister and not the minister. This approach to communication seems to persist and it is detrimental to the proper functioning of the communication function and its support to the ministry.”
Tshangana said on Friday that Nale had “no place” to comment about the sand water extraction contract.
He said the technology was new and only Empowering Water Solutions could offer it.
Treasury had approved the direct procurement after the waterboard tested the technology and confirmed that it worked.
The work was being conducted in Mogalakwena, which had reached day zero in terms of water supply.
JOBS FOR PALS?
Leaked internal documents showed that Sisulu was working to secure permanent employment at chief director level for her political allies, which critics in the department described as a “reward”.
The department confirmed on Thursday that both Mdekazi and Xolisile Mbada were employed as “additional to the establishment” in line with the public service regulations for a short-term post of one year.
Internal government documents showed that, as far back as November, efforts were under way to identify suitable posts for Mbada and Mdekazi to be appointed “permanent to the establishment,” but formal recruitment processes had to be followed.
Mdekazi was widely regarded as the key driver and chief fundraiser for Sisulu’s political ambitions – including a potential relaunch of the ANC presidency campaign.
Mbada was referred to as Sisulu’s “former bodyguard”.
Tshangana said the two had to be roped into the department to help manage the “sudden increase of work” caused by drought, regions being stretched and communities getting agitated about water shortages.
Tshangana said Mdekazi was in charge of stakeholder relations and worked mainly with communities on the ground, while Mbada – “a former brigadier with extensive experience” – was part of those responsible for expediting the vetting process of senior managers in the department.
Although the department had said it could not comment on the salaries of officials, insiders said officials at chief director level took home at least R1.5 million a year.
Both Mbada’s and Mdekazi’s arrival with Sisulu at the water and sanitation department appear to have created hostile relations between them and some of their colleagues.
Officials in the minister’s office had received complaints about the duo’s conduct and role in the department.
Disgruntled senior managers had allegedly refused to submit themselves before Mbada after receiving communication from him to present their security clearances.
Some claimed Mbada did not have the necessary security clearance to do the work, but Tshangana said he could neither confirm nor deny such details as they were confidential.
Mdekazi was described as an abrasive character, but those close to him said this trait was one of his strong points because “he gets things done”.
A memo, dated September 18, and addressed to Sisulu by an official identified as Kenny Govender, said Mbada was “currently employed [since 2016] on a contract linked to the term of office of the minister of human settlements” and he was on contract because he resigned from the police in 2014 to join the private sector.
Govender said Mbada “indicated that he returned to the public service in 2016 on the understanding that he will be permanently appointed to the post at chief director level. His main concern was that this has not happened since 2016.”
In Mdekazi’s case, Govender wrote in a letter that he resigned from Parliament to take up a contract appointment with the international relations and cooperation department.
His appointment at water and sanitation was continued on the contract and, “based on the available information, he resigned, enabling him to be appointed on a higher salary at the chief director level”.
Govender apologised for the delay in identifying a suitable post and advertising the post because “this was due to seeking approval for the post to be advertised and for the allocation of funds for the post, by the relevant branch heads”.
He said a chief director post had eventually been identified and “Mdekazi is expected to lodge a formal application and follow the normal recruitment process”.
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