Home Affairs director-general Billy Masetlha could be replaced within weeks following months of public quibbles with Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Masetlha’s contract comes to an end on June 20, Home Affairs Department representative Leslie Mashokwe said on Tuesday. His post was advertised in last Sunday’s newspapers.
Asked whether Masetlha would apply for the position, Mashokwe said: ”He hasn’t indicated that to me.” Masetlha could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
The presidency said the president had the power to redeploy serving directors-general. But presidential representative Bheki Khumalo said he was not aware of any plans to redeploy Masetlha, or to give another director-general his vacant post.
Khumalo said it was not unusual to advertise a director-general’s post. It was the prerogative of the president to appoint directors-general, but President Thabo Mbeki delegated that responsibility to national ministers in a ”presidential minute” some months ago.
It has since become the practice to advertise the post, after which the relevant minister would appoint a panel of ministers to make a recommendation to Cabinet. The president could still technically make his own appointment or overrule a Cabinet decision in this regard, ”but the current practice has not been departed from”, Khumalo said.
Masetlha, a former director-general of the South African Secret Service, was redeployed to the Home Affairs Department by Mbeki.
He and Buthelezi have failed to see eye to eye, and Mbeki’s intervention had been sought.
Buthelezi is also the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, while Masetlha is a member of the African National Congress. In October last year, Buthelezi presented the parliamentary home affairs portfolio committee with a list of 64 complaints about his director-general — who he accused of insubordination.
Buthelezi also claimed Masetlha had been working without a valid contract. – Sapa