Khumalo is reinstated

BARBERTON – The decision by the MEC for public works, roads and transport, Dikeledi Mahlangu to reinstate an official, who was dismissed after being found guilty of falsifying his qualifications and misusing government vehicles, has again restored public doubts regarding the government’s sincerity in dealing with corrupt public servants.

Mahlangu overruled her head of department’s Kgopane Mohlasedi’s decision to sack alleged fraudster, Mathew Menzi Mans Khumalo (32), nearly seven months ago. An internal disciplinary action last May found Khumalo, who was stationed at the Barberton Cost Centre, guilty of faking qualifications to gain employment as an administration officer in the department.

Dumisani Malamule, departmental spokesman confirmed that Khumalo was back at work. “Khumalo was dismissed and filed an appeal. He appealed against the outcome of the disciplinary process as provided for in terms of the dsciplinary cde and pocedures for public service. He was finally reinstated on November 14, 2013 based on the result of his appeal,” said Malamule.He added that, while Khumalo was on precautionary suspension, he was on full pay, since his case was still to be finalised through the disciplinary process.

On a report containing the sanction of the said official, which is in Barberton Times’ possession, dated April 24, 2013 with David Maswanganyi departmental legal representative in labour-related issues, making submission on behalf of the employer, Khumalo was initially facing five counts of misconduct.

He was found guilty with regard to two charges: that of unauthorised possession or wrongful use of a state motor vehicle. Another charge emanated from the job application in 2007, which contained misrepresentation including incorrect or inflated qualification, experience and skills.

Despite having been found guilty at that time, this newspaper with information from a reliable sources within the department, who was part of the disciplinary hearing, previously reported that Khumalo boasted that he would never be fired because he was politically well connected.

Anthony Benadie, DA provincial leader said they wanted an explanation from Mahlangu why she was protecting Khumalo. “The MEC’s decision to reinstate him is absurd, and clearly shows her misusing her position to undermine the interest of the state and public. To this end, the DA will write to the MEC to demand that she make public her reasons for reinstating Khumalo. We will also write to the Public Service Commission and the Office of the Premier’s integrity management unit to investigate the matter,” said Benadie.

He added that the DA would continue to pressurise until Khumalo was removed from office and an investigation into this matter was concluded. Until his reinstatement on November 14, 2013, Khumalo had been in suspension since December 19, 2011.

He had started working for the department in 2007. His CV that was seen by Barberton Times read like a fairy tale. Here was a man who somehow managed to obtain his matric at Nelspruit Private College in 2001, while he was also working as a temporary statistic surveyor for Statistics South Africa.

His highest qualification was a BCom in economics from the University of Zululand in 2005. But departmental enquiry found that Khumalo had lied to get the post by forging his qualification and work experience. “The department conducted a verification exercise and that’s when it was discovered that Khumalo had indeed submitted fake qualifications when he applied for the post in 2007,” read the report verdict of the disciplinary hearing.

The hearing also found that it was on the strength of the forged qualifications that Khumalo was recommended for employment in the position. “It is important to note that in the memorandum containing recommended candidates, the panel did consider the fact that he had a BCom in economics as one of his qualifications and it obviously informed the panel’s recommendations,” read the verdict.

Khumalo’s CV also claimed that he had worked as an intern at Umjindi Municipality. Again, the departmental investigation found that he had never worked for the council. In a letter dated January 18, 2012, and signed by the council former municipal manager, Sibongile Mnisi, the municipality denied ever having employed him. Umjindi spokesman, Sam Jele, also refuted the claim. The municipality confirmed that Khumalo was interviewed for the position of accounting officer during March 2007, but said, “It was determined that information submitted on his CV was questionable and he was unable to submit proof of qualifications.”

Another organisation, which the said official stated that he worked for in his CV, Umjindi Resource Centre, also disowned him in a letter directed to the department. “The centre keeps all records of past employees who have worked at the resource centre. There are no records on Mans Mathew Khumalo. I can therefore confirm that Khumalo was never employed here as an administrative assistant,” stated a letter by former centre manager, Gorete Britz.

During the department investigation, it also emerged that Khumalo’s claim in his CV that he had qualified as a skills development facilitator (SDF) was also untrue, even though he had registered and attended the training, but failed to meet the requirements for the qualification.”Khumalo has registered for SDF training as a facilitator for Blaizepoint Trading CC. He has attended the training, but failed to submit his portfolio of evidence in order to be assessed for competency. He has failed to comply and an invoice was issued against his company to recover the training costs as it was regarded as fruitless expenditure, which confirms that he has not qualified as an SDF,” testified provincial manager of the Services SETA in Mpumalanga, Roelf van Rooyen, previously reported that a departmental preliminary investigation of Khumalo revealed that while he had been appointed as an administration officer, he weaseled his way within the regional office of the department here in town and got involved in the procurement of road-maintenance material for the regional office.

In a letter that the head of department, Mathews Mohlasedi, wrote to the former director general of Mpumalanga, Jacob Rabodila, he gave an account of how Khumalo’s activities caused the department huge irregular expenditures.“It appears that Khumalo had been allowed to act unlawfully and irregularly in carrying out functions which fell outside the scope of work. As a result the department incurred huge unorthodox, fruitless, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure. This was gross dereliction of duties on the part of Khumalo,” said Mohlasedi.

The departmental investigation also found that while government orders had been issued and invoices paid, there was no evidence of any of the goods that had been delivered. It also discovered that Khumalo purchased four imposing houses in cash at Dunusa section in Extension 12 in Emjindini between 2011 and 2012. This include two large houses and another two which had not yet been transferred to his name. He bought out the three previous owners of the vacant stands where he constructed huge mansions.

He was said to have been receiving a salary in the region of R13 000, and pocketing R10 000 after deductions, and his lifestyle appeared to be contrary to his earnings. Mohlasedi gave an instruction to Rabodila that the department should institute criminal charges against Khumalo with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).

“The department would report the fraud and corruption implicating Khumalo to the competent institutions such as the Hawks or Special Investigation Unit in order to establish where he received funds to buy such properties,” read part of Mohlasedi’s letter.

Rabodila has since been fired by the premier David Mabuza.