Attempts at reconciling the ANC’s Gauteng region have failed dismally, writes Sechaba ka’Nkosi
Fresh allegations of serious misconduct and abuse of authority hit the inner circles of the African National Congress’s Gauteng region this week, less than two months before the party holds its provincial conference.
At the centre of the furore is Safety and Security MEC Jessie Duarte who faces damning allegations that she took her alleged lover, Babalazi Bulunga, on a state visit, accommodating him in some of Portugal’s finest hotels for almost a week at the expense of the taxpayer.
The allegations threaten attempts by Premier Mathole Motshekga, himself facing a top-level inquiry into allegations of misuse of donor funds, to rally the province behind the theme of reconciliation.
The leakage of the documents allegedly incriminating Duarte this week is believed to be a strategy by the pro-Motshekga faction of the ANC, to counter what is seen as an offensive against him.
The faction has exploited Duarte’s failure to give a satisfactory explanation of Bulunga’s involvement in the state trip. When challenged, Duarte defended her actions arguing that Bulunga’s expenses were paid for by the Portuguese embassy.
Documents in possession of the Mail & Guardian reveal that Portugal only paid for the department’s director of sports and recreation, Gilberto Martins. Travel invoices, copies of four plane tickets and a receipt confirm that the Gauteng government footed the bill for Bulunga, Duarte and the department’s representative Mbulelo Musi.
The revelations about Duarte are understood to have infuriated Motshekga, who had overruled a recommendation to fire Duarte and her counterpart Housing and Land Affairs MEC Dan Mofokeng when he assumed office three weeks ago in order to heal the divisions within Gauteng.
The province’s Director General, Vincent Mntambo, is reliably known to have suggested the dropping of the two MECs because of an investigation which uncovered gross mismanagement and abuse of authority in the two departments.
Motshekga apparently refused to drop the two because he wanted to offer an olive branch to all members of his Cabinet, including MECs who tried to frustrate his bid for the premiership last year. However, Motshekga is believed to have been furious at being left to clean up the mess left by predecessor, Tokyo Sexwale.
Motshekga is said to have told some of his senior officials that he would grant “amnesty to everyone” in his government because he “wanted to start with a clean slate.”
In return, Duarte, Mofokeng and other MECs undertook to pledge their total loyalty and support for the new premier. However, Mntambo believed it would be better to axe Duarte and Mofokeng in order to clean up the provincial government. A possible replacement for Duarte if she were to be fired was Mondli Gungubele, a low-profile, but highly regarded MPL from the East Rand.
“Retaining everyone for the purposes of support was a tactical but suicidal move which has already started to undermine Motshekga’s stated commitment to clean and transparent governance,” said a senior source in the Gauteng government.
According to the source, Duarte exacerbated the situation by failing to provide a satisfactory explanation of Bulunga’s involvement in the trip.
Duarte told the public that Bulunga was a consultant in her department. Yet Bulunga is a senior human-resource executive at Gillette, a multinational company, and is not on the government’s payroll.
When they were challenged, Duarte’s department changed their stance and argued that Bulunga rendered his services to the department free of charge.
The Portugal trip has opened a can of worms in Duarte’s office, though it appears that Sexwale had long been aware of the problems, but chose not to act on them. Duarte was viewed as an untouchable during Sexwale’s reign.
Those who suffered for questioning her include Mntambo, expelled director of support services in the department, Theo Burgers and Lerato Maruping, the department’s assistant director of administration.
Duarte and Mofokeng are said to be behind the moves to oust Mntambo from the provincial government. Duarte is also implicated in Burger’s controversial firing from his position.
Maruping stood her ground when she contended that Duarte, an unlicensed driver, smashed a government vehicle in October, and reported the accident seven days later. In a letter to the department’s deputy director general Mkhabela Sibeko — himself implicated in cover-ups on Duarte’s behalf — Maruping questioned the manner in which the case was handled.
“It was confirmed that the vehicle in question was driven by the MEC [Duarte] personally. However, to my surprise, the accident report came out stating that Mr [David] Sons [Duarte’s bodyguard] drove the car.
“Please investigate and advise accordingly,” pleads Maruping. She has been served a final warning, a move that is seen as retaliation for standing up to Duarte.
Another alleged cover-up relates to the controversial employment of Joseph Banda in the department. Banda, an unqualified consultant, was employed for nearly R300 000 rands per annum, despite having no necessary qualifications and being expelled by his previous employer Group Africa Limited for fraudulent use of company resources.