Mpumalanga government officials have repeatedly glossed over corruption in their ranks, reports Justin Arenstein
INSTEAD of being charged or being held publicly accountable for the widespread maladministration which forced the government to dismantle the Mpumalanga Development Corporation, its CEO, Patrick Mogorosi, was granted a “generous settlement” and a promise not to discuss the issue by the province.
Mogorosi was also allowed to resign from his post instead of being dismissed, despite an independent investigation by Coopers & Lybrand which found that he had abused his financial powers and had routinely intimidated staff into altering accounting records.
The settlement, which has outraged opposition politicians in the province, is the latest in a string of instances where Mpumalanga’s government has seemingly failed or refused to take legal steps against officials who have defrauded it.
Other high-profile cases in which the government has failed to either recover its lossses or prosecute include the notorius “Nyatigate”, where consultants paid themselves up to R15 000 per day while advising the government on how to save money.
“It obviously pays to be a criminal in Mpumalanga. I mean, we’re telling all state employees here that they should steal as much as possible because if we catch them we’ll only ask for the money back if they’re unlucky and will actually reward them for their troubles. We’ll even promise not to speak about it,” finance committee chair and National Party Member of the Legislature Chris MacPherson said this week.
Among the findings Coopers & Lybrand detailed in a confidential report to the government were that Mogorosi spent at least 41% – or R171 797 – of the entire parastatal’s furniture budget on equipping his personal office with, among other items, a large-screen TV, an expensive music centre and a Grundig satellite dish for “training purposes”.
Mogorosi was also found to have repeatedly over-claimed on his travel allowances for the SAAB 900SE convertible and 300E Mercedes Benz allowed him by the MDC and to have also booked a first-class air ticket to the United States for R37 703, against the express advice of his finance director.
Citing instances where Mogorosi had forced finance staff to change audit reports or at times even dictated their contents, the report said that it had found ample evidence of his “intolerance to opposition” and his abusive behaviour of staff.
After the report was leaked to the press, Mogorosi was immediately sacked by Premier Mathews Phosa, but was reinstated in January after he challenged the dismissal as non-procedural.
The corporation immediately suspended him and launched internal disciplinary proceedings, but these were abandoned this month after Mogorosi accepted a “retirement” package. Part of the agreement is an undertaking by both Mogorosi and the MDC not to comment on the settlement’s terms.
Pointing out that the investigations into Mogorosi’s activities had already cost at least R775 000 and that Coopers & Lybrand had found unequivocal evidence of maladministration, MacPherson asked why no criminal proceedings had been instituted.
`By letting Mogorosi walk, we’re discouraging whistle-blowers from reporting corruption because even after being convicted those they accuse will have the freedom and financial means to take revenge,” he added.
Mogorosi is not the first high-profile official who the provincial government has seemingly failed to prosecute.
Former government consultants Eugene Nyati and Ntsoaki Mohapi were also not charged after investigations almost two years ago revealed that they had paid each other up to R15 000 per day while advising the government on how to save money.
Although they were ordered to pay back the R800 000 that Nyati had in his personal account, plus significant portions of their salaries, Mohapi still owes Mpumalanga about R200 000.
Despite recommendations that criminal proceedings should be launched to recover the money, Mohapi has still to be charged.
Legislative investigations last year into who recommended and appointed the two consultants also failed when one senior official after another denied knowing where the order to appoint them originated.
Mohapi was appointed chairman of at least one committee despite having only a Bachelor of Arts degree and no relevant experience.
Provincial director general, Frank Mbatha, and senior officials from the province’s finance and treasury departments also repeatedly failed to deliver reports to the public accounts committee on government farms which were ceded to four politicians at minimal costs without going through the tender board and without treasury approval.
Officials, including Mbatha, told the committee that because senior politicians such as South Africa’s ambassador to Mozambique, Mangisi Zitha, were involved, the issue was “too sensitive to be discussed in public”.
Mbatha, however, promised to deliver a full report on the issue, including an explanation of why National Parks Board chairman Enos Mabuza was only charged roughly R7 000 a farm but was able to mortgage it for almost R450 000 a year later.
Committee chairman Hein Mentz told the M&G this week that he had still not received any documentation and had referred the matter to Public Protector Selby Baqwa in frustration.
Even traffic officers in Mpumalanga point out that their chief, Henry Brazer, has admitted to sending relatives on a holiday to the US using government funds. After signing an “admission of guilt” letter, he was merely required to pay the money back in installments and was later promoted to provincial traffic director.