OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Monday
AGGRIEVED staff at the KwaZulu-Natal Education and Culture department are to confront their MEC, Faith Gasa, after she branded them a “bunch of reptiles” and threatened to fire them for their part in an evil spell that her predecessor is alleged to have put on her.
The nervous MEC is said to have abandoned her ministerial office for three weeks because she believed predecessor Eileen KaNkosi Shandu, who was axed earlier this year for nepotism, had cast an evil spell on it.
Gasa’s husband, Professor Enoch Gasa, said the belief that Gasa’s office was bewitched was “common” and even Premier Lionel Mtshali knew there was “something unholy” in the office.
Gasa said she would be returning to the office this week, where she presides over a R7,8bn budget and 2,6 million pupils, to fire all her staff, who she believes are all loyal to Shandu.
Gasa replaced Shandu in August and her department is under pressure to improve on last year’s 51% matric pass rate. She believes Shandu has bewitched her former office because she wants it back. Mtshali has ordered that it be refurbished and repainted.
The allegations of witchcraft come at a time when pupils are preparing for the crucial end-of-year examinations.
Sources in the ANC said they were disturbed by the antics of Gasa, and wondered whether she was suitable to hold the important post of education MEC.
Gasa’s husband said her two cars had been involved in accidents, which, had she been in them at the time, would have killed her.