Mulalo Nemavhandu, the man hired to tackle corruption within the Gauteng Department of Social Service and Population Development, has been thrown out of his job as programme manager for poverty relief.
Last year Nemavhandu exposed corruption, amounting to millions of rands, involving government officials and leaders of poverty relief projects.
In October the Mail & Guardian reported the closure of almost all poverty relief projects by the department as a result of corruption, fraud and mismanagement of funds and lack of skills.
A dossier dubbed the Exit Strategy Report, in the possession of the M&G, alleges corrupt practice by officials and project leaders.
The department has spent about R50-million since 1997 to fund 336 community projects. But the report, compiled by Nemavhandu, says 85% of the projects did not achieve the department’s objectives because individuals empowered themselves and their families rather than their communities.
Before Nemavhandu’s appointment, an internal audit conducted by the department pointed out ineffectiveness on the poverty relief strategy.
Nemavhandu was brought to the department to establish why poverty relief projects were not having an effect on the ground. According to the internal audits, there was a need to review poverty reduction strategy and also to refocus the approach.
“My role was to implement the process. In order to correctly establish what made the strategy on poverty not make a significant impact, I had to start by reviewing and investigating what had happened to all poverty relief projects funded by the department since the beginning of the programme.
“The approach was intended to assist the department to review and refocus its strategy to fight poverty. In order for me to find the cure for such problems, I needed to find the root cause. This is how the Exit Strategy Report came about.
“Unfortunately, when the report was leaked to the media I happened to be the victim of that,” said Nemavhandu.
Relations between Nemavhandu and the department turned sour after the M&G reports.
MEC Angie Motshekga was so furious that she even described the Exit Strategy Report as an opinion, not government policy. “I am not sure why this becomes an issue. Nemavhandu expressed his ill-informed opinion on public policy,” fumed Motshekga.
In an interview with the M&G at the time, Motshekga indicated her
intention to suspend Nemavhandu. However, the intended suspension did not occur until late last month, when Nemavhandu was told his services were no longer required.
“My departure was long overdue before the actual notice, not to renew my contract, was issued. After the public revelation, my role as a programme manager became very ceremonial,” said Nemavhandu this week.
Departmental spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said the department had entered into a fixed contract with Nemavhandu to take on a specific responsibility.
“Upon the completion of that responsibility we thus terminated the contract based on that,” said Lesufi.
He said Nemavhandu had assisted on projects the department could not sustain in the long run.