Question NW3342 to the President of the Republic
10 December 2018 - NW3342
Lekota, Mr M to ask the President of the Republic
Whether he has taken any steps to investigate allegations relating to the alleged irregular and/or unlawful appointment of persons in the Ministry of Transport (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, (a) what progress has been made and (b) what was the conclusion reached?
Reply:
(a) – (b) The allegations referred to by the Honourable Member were made in the form of an anonymous letter circulated to various government entities, including the Presidency.
I am informed that the Public Service Commission, one of the recipients of the anonymous letter, determined after correspondence with the Department of Transport that it will not take action due to the fact that it would be difficult to obtain further and more detailed particulars from an anonymous complainant.
We would urge any individuals who have evidence of irregular or unlawful appointments to make use of the proper channels.
In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the Minister of Public Service and Administration did receive another letter from a former employee of the Department of Transport making similar allegations.
In line with the Public Service Act, the Minister of Public Service and Administration has begun a process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.
The work to ascertain the veracity of the allegations has not yet been concluded. The Department of Public Service and Administration is in contact with the Department of Transport to ascertain whether the appointment of persons in the Ministry of Transport is compliant to the Public Service Act and other relevant prescripts.
Once the work has been concluded, a report will be submitted to the Minister of Public Service and Administration. Further enquiry on these allegations should be directed to the Minister of Public Service and Administration.