The director general of International Relations and Cooperation Ayanda Ntsaluba will leave his position next month, making him the second director general to leave the public service this year. Mineral Resources director general Sandile Nogxina is also set to leave his department after 13 years of service.
This follows a controversial swapping of directors general earlier this month when former labour DG Jimmy Manyi was appointed the chief spokesperson of the government, while the incumbent Themba Maseko was moved to the vacant director general position in the Department of Public Service and Administration.
An official announcement about Nogxina and Ntsaluba’s departure has not yet been made, but highly placed sources confirmed that their respective contracts will not be renewed.
Ntsaluba is set to leave the public service and pursue business, those close to him told the Mail & Guardian.
“He’s done this for too long and wants to explore other things,” a source said.
Nogxina is leaving the Mineral Resources Department, according to sources, but will continue to be a consultant to the minister.
Nogxina’s departure comes as a shock given his crucial role in the ICT-Kumba controversy which resulted in a court case set to be heard in the Gauteng High Court.
Preferred to keep Ntsaluba
Ntsaluba was previously the director general of the Health Department before he moved to international relations with then-minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
According to a source close to current minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, she would have “preferred to keep Ntsaluba”.
“She renewed his contract when he came in; if she wanted him out she would’ve fired him right there,” the source said.
Nkoana-Mashabane is said to be consulting President Jacob Zuma, who appoints directors general, to find a replacement for Ntsaluba and in the meantime one of the department’s five deputy directors general will run the department while a replacement is sought.
Ntsaluba was in a meeting and was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday morning.