Sechaba ka’Nkosi
A controversial Northern Cape clergyman officially represented the province’s Department of Housing and Local Government at state expense, despite his shady background and the fact he was not an employee of the provincial administration.
The Reverend Jacob Phenyeke was given a hired car to use for three days by MEC Pakes Dikgetsi in April last year. He was already under investigation by police for fraudulently claiming to be the South African National Civic Organisation’s (Sanco) first vice- president and providing car financing companies Stannic and Wesbank with false information about state grants to the organisation.
In May 1996 Phenyeke allegedly signed a letter with a Sanco letterhead authorising himself, an expelled Sanco official whose name is known to the Mail & Guardian and four others to buy three vehicles valued at more than R260 000. A month later, the group allegedly used a similar strategy to convince Wesbank to give them six more vehicles valued at R500 000.
The six have appeared in the Kimberley regional court on four counts of fraud, and have pleaded not guilty.
Phenyeke’s name is but one on a list of mysterious “state employees” allegedly authorised by Dikgetsi’s department to represent the provincial government in official engagements.
Most of the beneficiaries of the department’s grants to these “state employees” are former Sanco activists. They include Obakeng “Cutter” London, who was given a hired vehicle at state expense in March last year, again under unclear circumstances. Some of the “state employees” are not even residents of the Northern Cape.
The provincial government’s human resource department and the provincial services commission were unable this week to deny this, or to provide convincing evidence from their database about the exact relationship of the mysterious “employees” with the province, their dates of employment and remuneration packages. They could also not say if the “employees” had been sent on government errands because they were acting as consultants.
Sanco representative Donovan Williams denied any knowledge of Phenyeke or his involvement with the civic organisation. He also knew nothing about a special conference which the group claim gave them a mandate to buy the vehicles.
“Perhaps he [Phenyeke] is known in some of our structures in the area. But to our knowledge there was no special conference or resolution of that nature. We don’t even have a position of a first vice-president,” he said.
Questions have been raised about Phenyeke’s “mission” for the Northern Cape government in light of the investigations.
When asked whether people who are not employed by the state can perform state duties or represent the state in an official capacity, Dikgetsi said the execution of political responsibilities gives him the right to use people outside government employ.
“It is not irregular that the office of the MEC should provide means for such assignments to be carried out effectively on his behalf. The intention is to get the job done.” He could not, however, give the exact nature of the assignments.
Documents in possession of the M&G show that Dikgetsi’s department failed to provide the state with clear reasons as to why Phenyeke was funded by the government.
When questions were raised in the department last year about Phenyeke’s relationship with the provincial government, Dikgetsi fired a junior staffer he accused of leaking the information to sabotage the government.
Phenyeke’s association with the provincial government dates back to when he worked together with Dikgetsi in the local Sanco branch. After Dikgetsi was appointed MEC in 1994, Phenyeke allegedly operated a land reform consultancy which advised the new MEC.
The documents also show Dikgetsi used his state credit card to book himself into hotels in Kimberley, despite the fact he owns a government- subsidised house in the area.
Another allegation against Dikgetsi involves a car accident in Mafikeng last year. An Avis car hired for the MEC was allegedly involved in a crash which cost taxpayers thousands of rands. There are unsubstantiated reports that the car was not even driven by Dikgetsi or his driver, Emsley Mothelessi, at the time of the accident.