Communications director 'released' from contract

The director general of the department of communications Mamodupi Mohlala has been "released" from her contract with immediate effect. "In the process of trying to find solutions to the challenges, it subsequently became apparent that trust between the minister [Siphiwe Nyanda] and the director general has broken down irretrievably," said spokesperson for the communications ministry Tiyani Rikhotso in a statement on Friday afternoon.

Rikhotso said Mohlala was not released from her contract because of tender issues mentioned in the media. He said the department recently faced a number of challenges "relating to internal processes and procedure". Nyanda and the deputy minister Dina Pule met the director general to resolve the issues as they threatened the day-to-day operations of the department and negatively affected its image. In the interests of the department, the staff and the government, the minister concluded that it would be best to release Mohlala from her position as director general from July 23, he said.

Harold Wesso was appointed the acting director general to ensure that the work of the department was not negatively affected. The Mail and Guardian reported last week that Wesso was appointed as an acting director general for two days after a fall-out between Nyanda and Mohlala. Nyanda last week dismissed reports that he was suspending "Mohlala" -- following repeated disagreements over tenders she refused to sign -- as "false, spurious and malicious". Nyanda reportedly issued an instruction that all tenders for the department be cancelled until they had been "discussed and approved by the minister". It was understood that Mohlala warned Nyanda this week that removing the administration of tenders from her would violate the Public Finances Management Act. The saga with his director general is the latest landing Nyanda in the media spotlight.

In March freight group Transnet dismissed two senior managers for irregularly awarding a R55-million tender to a company allegedly linked to Nyanda.

In a separate case, the Democratic Alliance alleged that a company partly owned by Nyanda was unlawfully awarded a R67,8-million tender by the Gauteng roads and transport department.

Earlier this year Nyanda was accused of indulging in a "caviar and silk" lifestyle after allegedly spending thousands of rands on hotel stays at the luxurious Mount Nelson and Twelve Apostles hotels and buying two R1,2-million BMWs for his work.

Congress of South African Trade Union leader Zwelinzima Vavi singled out Nyanda when criticising the government's failure to act on allegations of corruption in Cabinet. Vavi had said reports that Nyanda had spent half-a-million rand on hotels in Cape Town should be probed, which landed him in hot water with its ally in the ruling alliance, the ANC.

Source: Mail & Guardian

A two-day job after minister and DG clash

An acting director general was appointed for two days this week in the communications department after a mysterious fallout between Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda and his director general, Mamodupi Mohlala. Dr Harold Wesso, who was heading an e-skills institute in the department, told the Mail & Guardian he was placed in the post of acting director general late on Wednesday afternoon. The M&G was told that Wesso was temporarily appointed because Nyanda had tried to set up a meeting three times with Mohlala, but she had said she was sick. Because of her claim, Nyanda appointed Wesso in the acting position but did not suspend her. "My appointment letter said it was just for two days, until Friday," Wesso said on Thursday. "What is happening after that, I am not sure. I was appointed acting director general late [on Wednesday] afternoon and I will be trying to maintain the status quo."

Nyanda's and Mohlala's families have strong links with each other, but on Thursday Business Day reported that Mohlala was about to be suspended by Nyanda, following repeated disagreements over tenders she refused to sign. The story reported unsubstantiated claims that she had refused to approve tenders that were awarded to companies linked to people close to Nyanda and a private company partly owned by Nyanda, General Nyanda Security (GNS). Communications department spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso said Nyanda dismissed the allegations in the report "as false, spurious and malicious". "The minister is not involved in the issuing or adjudication of tenders," he said. "Such is the responsibility of the management of the department." Nyanda would not address administration and human resources issues through the media and was dealing with departmental management internally, Rikhotso said.

Mohlala agreed to answer M&G questions about the tender controversy but then failed to do so. Instead, she confined her response to an explanation of her relationship with the minister and said she would return to the office on July 19. "The minister and I have a conducive work relationship and I respect the mutual relationship both the minister as an executive authority and I as an accounting officer have," wrote Mohlala. In past weeks communications department staff said tensions have become apparent between Mohlala and Nyanda. A source close to the ANC NEC's communications subcommittee said Mohlala had alienated the party when she bypassed the committee on policy issues. "There have been major fireworks ... she doesn't attend meetings with them and has taken new policy to the Cabinet, such as on broadband, where there has been no debate."

Source: Mail & Guardian