Controversial MEC proves too much for one of her top officials, writes Andy Duffy
The head of education in the North West province has quit his post in protest against alleged nepotism by the provincial education MEC, who handed out plum jobs to members of her family.
Gulam-Husien Mayet quietly stepped down as provincial education deputy director general four weeks ago, after a long and bitter turf war with the MEC, Mamoekoena Junior Gaoretelelwe. The two, who hold the most powerful jobs in state education in the province, have not co-operated since April.
Relations between them collapsed when Gaoretelelwe ordered Mayet to employ her sister-in-law as an attorney in a costly legal battle to dismiss more than 400 foreign teachers employed by the province.
The education department was already receiving free legal advice from the state attorney, and it is not clear what tendering procedures if any were followed in the appointment.
Gaoretelelwe also employed her husband, Walter, as a deputy director in Mayets department, and apparently refused to consult Mayet on any other appointments she made in his department.
The two also fought over allegations that Gaoretelelwe used the departments 13 community liaison officers employed to spread the message about national education policy as her lobbyists during the elections last year for the African National Congresss provincial executive committee. Gaoretelelwe won a seat.
The dispute sucked in North West Premier Popo Molefe, three other MECs and Deputy Education Minister Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, who have all attempted to mediate a settlement since late last year.
Their efforts ended last month. Instead, Molefe ordered Gaoretelelwes ministry be split, and a new arts and culture ministry was established under MEC Ray Motsepe, with Mayet as his deputy director general.
Technically, Mayet has only been seconded to Motsepe to safeguard his public service rights which leaves Gaoretelelwe without a replacement. Provincial director general Job Mokgoro has been forced to temporarily take over.
Mayet declined to comment this week, beyond confirming his departure. Gaoretelelwe has refused to respond to faxed queries for the past three weeks. Mokgoro added that there might have been compatibility problems between Gaoretelelwe and Mayet.
A representative for Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu said the ministry had tried to resolve the differences of opinion but that the responsibility lay with the province. We cant comment on the solution theyve come up with, he added. Molefe was not available.
Mayets departure robs the province of one of the countrys most experienced education administrators. An exile for 29 years, Mayet was running education in the massive south London borough of Lambeth before he returned to South Africa.
The friction between the two started almost from the day Mayet took up the job in June 1995.
Among Gaoretelelwes first orders was that Mayet sack 417 foreign maths and science teachers, recruited from other African countries by former Bophuthatswana president Lucas Mangope to plug gaps in rural education. Gaoretelelwe decided the foreign teachers should go at the end of 1995 to create jobs for South Africans.
But the foreigners succeeded in gaining a court order preventing their dismissal. Many of them had gained citizenship or permanent residence, and were strongly supported by their schools.
The battle went to the Mmabatho Supreme Court, and to the Constitutional Court earlier this year. A ruling is imminent, though the province is seeking a settlement. The foreign teachers remain employed.
Mayet had told his officials not to recruit replacements for the foreigners until the issue was resolved. Many officials, taking their cue from Gaoretelelwe, did recruit, so the province is now paying at least 20 foreign teachers their full salaries to stay at home. The additional cost is thought to run to at least R2-million so far.
Gaoretelelwe, apparently unhappy with Mayets efforts, last year ordered him to recruit Johannesburg attorney Nomsa Khumalo as instructing attorney. Khumalo is married to advocate AA Motimele, Gaoretelelwes brother. She was unreachable this week.
Mayet informed the provincial government of Khumalos appointment, and of the recruitment of Gaoretelelwes husband as a deputy director.
The tension between Gaoretelelwe and Mayet was first signposted in the recently released government provincial audit, compiled by Provincial Service and Administration Department Director General, Paseka Ncholo. Mayet worked closely with Ncholos officials during their investigation.
Mokgoro said he had heard the rumour about Khumalos appointment, which would be unfortunate if proved true and should be clarified for the taxpayer. But her husbands appointment was justified as he was qualified.
Ncholo disagreed. It is not desirable state of affairs, he said this week. The appointment of Nomso Khumalo could not be corroborated, Ncholo added, and so had been omitted from his final report. He said Mokgoro had not raised the issue of Mayets departure but that he would pursue this with him.