Cape Town | Thursday
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki would meet Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi this week over his ongoing battle with his director-general Billy Masetlha, according to the presidency.
”The president is dealing with the matter. He plans to meet Chief Buthelezi this week,” presidential representative Bheki Khumalo said. He declined to elaborate.
On Tuesday, Buthelezi presented Parliament’s home affairs committee with an extraordinary 10-page document, citing 64 examples of Masetlha’s alleged wrongdoing.
He accused Masetlha of insubordination and defiance.
In his response, Masetlha said he was very angry and disappointed, and that the latest allegations were part of a campaign to vilify him.
Both Buthelezi — the Inkatha Freedom Party leader – and Masetlha, a former ANC intelligence operative, have previously asked for Mbeki’s intervention.
The United Democratic Movement’s Annelize van Wyk on Wednesday expressed concern about the two men’s deteriorating relationship, saying it was affecting the department’s work.
She said Mbeki should take responsibility, as he had appointed both men.
This was echoed by the New National Party’s Francois Beukman, who said in a statement: ”There has never been a better time for President (Thabo) Mbeki to step in and — for once and for all — put the department of home affairs back on track.”
Mbeki must end the crisis in the department.
”It is clear that the relationship between Minister Buthelezi and his director-general, Billy Masetlha, is beyond repair.”
Buthelezi’s document was ”solid confirmation” the minister did not trust Masetlha.
South Africa could not afford a situation where an important service department was hamstrung by the soured relationship between the two men, Beukman said.
Buthelezi has previously alleged that Masetlha has not had a valid contract since June, and that his actions since then could result in unauthorised expenditure and open up the department to legal action. – Sapa