Controversy: North West Premier Job Mokgoro has come under fire for appointing Relebohile Mafokane. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla/Netwerk24
North West Premier Job Mokgoro allegedly meddled in the appointment of an “unqualified” departmental head to a cushy R1.5-million position, despite the candidate being embroiled in a previous jobs-for-pals scandal.
Relebohile Emmanuel Mafokane began work this month as the provincial social development department’s head and accounting officer, despite being allegedly unqualified for the post, which required a postgraduate degree and at least eight years of managerial experience.
Violent demonstrations ensued following Mafokane’s appointment in the capital Mahikeng last week, as angry unionised workers protested outside the social development headquarters and called for the removal of MEC Boitumelo Moiloa.
In a video seen by the Mail & Guardian, police were called to bring calm after dustbins were overturned in front of the provincial headquarters.
Sources close to the premier’s office claim that Mokgoro removed the names of preferred shortlisted candidates to pave the way for Mafokane’s appointment.
According to the job advertisement, the position comes with an annual salary of R1.5-million on a five-year fixed-term contract.
“I know for a fact that Mokgoro removed the name of a qualifying candidate because the premier does not like him. The unsuccessful candidate is very outspoken, which the premier did not like,” said a source, who asked to remain anonymous.
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“The premier’s office later told the unsuccessful candidate during a call on Thursday [6 May] that Mokgoro did not see his name on the list. But we know he [Mokgoro] removed the name.”
The Public Service Act empowers premiers to deal with appointments of heads of provincial administrations and heads of departments.
A February 2019 Public Service Commission (PSC) investigative report found that Mafokane only had a matric certificate when he was irregularly hired as a director by former public service and administration minister Faith Muthambi. The post required someone with a degree.
The report followed Mafokane’s appointment to a three-year contract in June 2017 as a director of the stakeholder management department in a jobs-for-pals scandal. The probe found that Muthambi irregularly hired Mafokane and five other “unqualified” people to her office and paid them fat salaries that the report said were unwarranted.
The report added that Muthambi asked the late environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa to employ Mafokane when Muthambi was removed as a minister by President Cyril Ramaphosa in February 2018.
Mafokane did not respond to questions sent to him on Friday and subsequent text messages.
His spokesperson Vuyisile Ngesi denied that the premier played a part in Mafokane’s appointment: “Because the North West provincial government remains under [administration] by the national government, the responsibility for the appointment of heads of departments is now rested [with] the minister of public service and administration,” Ngesi said.
But this was contradicted by social development spokesperson Petrus Siko, who was quoted in local newspaper Mahikeng Mail on Friday as saying: “Premier Job Mokgoro’s office was solely responsible for the appointment of heads of department in the province.”
Ngesi said that a panel chaired by Moiloa, working with the administrator in the premier’s office, oversaw the appointment process and recommended Mafokane for the job.
Siko told the M&G that Mafokane had the required academic qualifications and experience for the post. “His profile went through rigorous scrutiny and [he] was subsequently appointed by the premier of North West province, following concurrence and support by the minister for the public service and administration,” Siko explained.
The Bokone Bophirima Business Forum criticised Mafokane’s appointment, saying that the recent hiring undermined efforts to professionalise the public service through the alleged appointment of unqualified people.
“If you Professor Job Mokgoro and MEC Boitumelo continue to hold exceedingly broad and unchecked powers, then there is no reason to believe you won’t continue to exercise them as you have, with predictable consequences for administration professionalism,” the forum said.
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