Durban - It was a case of tit for tat when KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo was bypassed recently in the employment of the department’s chief financial officer, allegedly without following procedures.
It has become apparent that former provincial head of health Sibongile Zungu employed Ndoda Biyela, who left his CFO job in the Gauteng Health Department under a cloud, without first consulting Dhlomo because she had been sidestepped by him earlier when two senior officers had been employed.
Dhlomo has vehemently opposed Biyela’s employment on January 30. Early this month he told The Mercury it would be trespassing for Biyela to set foot in the department’s offices.
Confidential documents leaked to The Mercury detailing lengthy correspondence between senior officials had revealed that Dhlomo and Zungu had taken their fight against each other to the late public service minister Collins Chabane, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, the Public Service Commission and the Gauteng Health Department.
Zungu wrote to the Public Service Commission on February 2 complaining about Dhlomo’s rejection of the appointment of Biyela. In the letter, she said Dhlomo had on January 16 left her out during interviews for two deputy director-general posts - district health services and special services and clinical support. She alleged that Dhlomo, who was the chairman of the interview panel, had brought forward the interview times by 30 minutes, which made her late.
Zungu said that on her arrival at the department’s Truro House offices in Durban for the interviews, Dhlomo instructed her that since she was late, she should not be part of the panel.
“Further, I was told to wait and expected to meet with the MEC at a later point, after the interviews. However, this did not materialise. The interviews were concluded and the MEC left without discussing the issue with me, nor anything about the interviews or the recommended candidate,” she wrote.
The MEC told Chabane and Motsoaledi that it was improper for Zungu to employ Biyela while she was on leave. Zungu processed the appointment while on leave, and Dhlomo said she had no authority to make the decision. Chabane replied that if Zungu had no authority to employ Biyela, “such actions would be irregular and constitute misconduct”.
“If the head of department had indeed acted in such an irregular way, I would strongly suggest that this matter be formally drawn to her attention with a view to pursue disciplinary action,” said Chabane.
Biyela had resigned from the Gauteng Department of Health while on suspension linked to tender irregularities on procurement of linen for two Gauteng hospitals and the acquisition of a new building for the Gauteng Department of Health. Zungu had tried to have him transferred from the Gauteng department, with the same annual salary package of more than R1.3 million. Zungu’s five-year contract expired in August, and she was placed on a month-to-month contract until last month. She then took the provincial government to the labour court demanding another five-year contract.
However, her relationship with Dhlomo appears to have reached an all-time low. In a letter to Chabane 16 days after Biyela’s employment, Dhlomo complained about Zungu’s conduct, and requested advice on how to deal with the matter.
“Lately, the head of department has approved the lateral transfer of Mr N Biyela in the position of deputy director-general without consultation with the executive authority,” he wrote.
In her motivation for Biyela’s appointment, Zungu said while Biyela was working for the KZN Treasury in 2009, he rescued the provincial Health Department from financial woes. She also said that in 2011, he was among three administrators appointed to assist the Limpopo province with a turnaround strategy, a task he performed successfully.
Dhlomo wrote to Zungu saying while Biyela was assisting the provincial Health Department more than R12 million disappeared and, as a result, he was removed from the department.
Biyela told The Mercury earlier: “I had a settlement with the Gauteng Department of Health through the Public Sector Bargaining Council. My appointment (in KZN) is lawful.”
Biyela and Zungu declined to comment. Dhlomo said he could not comment on the “stolen” documents, but that “you will know next week” about Biyela’s employment.
The Mercury