The National Development Agency (NDA) chief financial officer Pule Zwane has quit the organisation after the agency spent more than R1Â -million investigating him and paying him for sitting at home for two years.
Zwane was suspended in October 2003 along with CEO Delani Mthembu for alleged corruption and mismanagement.
For two years Zwane was paid an annual salary of more than R600 000 while sitting at home on suspension. Zwane was charged with misconduct for paying bonuses to staff without NDA board permission, and for hiring strategic officer Thami ka Plaatjie and Tshidi Mokwena unprocedurally.
He was later charged with moonlighting while employed by the NDA, but was later cleared.
The NDA said it came to an agreement with Zwane after legal advice that pursuing the charges would not yield positive results for the NDA. The NDA has spent R1 220 000 to investigate this matter.
Zwane referred the Mail & Guardian back to the NDA when approached for comment. “The NDA has negotiated an amicable termination of Pule Zwane’s employment agreement with the organisation, in terms of which Zwane has resigned from the NDA with effect from 31 August 2005,” read the NDA statement.
Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya initiated a forensic investigation into the NDA in 2003 after persistent allegations of nepotism, corruption and mismanagement had been raised by staff against the management of the institution.
Mthembu went to the courts to challenge the disciplinary processes against him after he resigned in September last year.