Members of the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) will not receive a pay increase this year, meaning their salaries will remain at 2019 levels, parliament has heard.
Four of Parliament’s top public servants do not have security clearance from the police or the intelligence service, and at least one them is not qualified for her position and was demoted from a previous job after being found guilty of nepotism, among other crimes.
The officials who were not vetted include acting Parliament secretary Baby Tyawa and head of security Zelda Holtzman, sources told the Mail & Guardian this week.
One of the officials whose name is known to the M&G was found guilty in August 2012 of nepotism during an internal disciplinary process while she was a director in a provincial department of local government and traditional affairs
She has been on special leave since June after the auditor general found she does not have the qualifications for the parliamentary job.
Tyawa confirmed that in all the cases “extensive vetting” has just started, claiming this is normal.
Overlooked deliberately
Sources said, however, that vetting was deliberately overlooked or not insisted upon because Parliament had wanted the candidates to be hired at all costs.
Parliamentary spokesperson Luzuko Jacobs said that it is standard practice that all parliamentary officials, at all levels, have to obtain a security clearance ahead of their employment.
“This was the case in relation to the officials listed in your query. This is a policy requirement and employment of officials by Parliament is subject to this clearance being obtained,” said Jacobs.
Tyawa and Holtzman said they and the other two managers are only undergoing the “extensive vetting” now after going through “basic screening” when they were hired in their positions over a year ago.
Tyawa said it is important to distinguish the primary security clearance (done by Parliament) from the extensive vetting that is done by state security.
But Parliamentary sources disagree, saying there is one vetting process conducted on state employees – and it is done by state security.
“If you ask me if I have been vetted, I will go to my computer and show you my certificate; they [Parliament] cannot do that,” said a senior official in Parliament.