Avatar photo

By Eric Mthobeli Naki

Political Editor


Investigate hiring of thieving department head, says FF Plus

Ndudane was offered a senior position as director-general in Eastern Cape local government, five days after she was dismissed as deputy director-general of the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries due to theft.


The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) will ask Minister of Public Service and Administration Senzo Mchunu to investigate the hiring of a new head of Eastern Cape department of rural development and land reform after she was found guilty of theft by the department of agriculture.

She was found guilty in a hearing of stealing three tons of abalone, valued at about R7 million, from the department’s stores in Paarden Island between December 2017 and January 2018.

Heloise Denner, FF Plus MP and spokesperson for public service and administration, condemned Ndudane’s appointment. She said it displayed the ANC’s embracing of “unacceptable and probably criminal behaviour”.

“This once again serves as proof of the ANC’s tendency to simply redeploy cadres who have been implicated in irregularities,” Denner said.

She demanded that the department institute criminal proceedings against Ndudane.

“The department must also explain why the responsible official or officials did not inform the police immediately. It is a crime of shocking proportions and Ndudane was surely not the only one involved,” Denner said.

She would take up the matter with Mchunu and would demand that he investigate the issue. Action must also be taken against all officials involved.

Neither Mamkeli Ngam, Eastern Cape cooperative governance and traditional affairs departmental spokesperson, nor provincial government spokesperson Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha were available for comment yesterday.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.

Read more on these topics

Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus)

For more news your way

Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.