Johannesburg - Pikitup boss Amanda Nair allegedly secured a salary of nearly R10 000 a month for a relative doing an internship at the City of Joburg.
Other interns are paid R3 000 a month, insiders say.
In a letter dated January 28, 2013, Nair wrote to Jonathan Thekiso in the human resources department, asking him to appoint Kelvin Ngwenya as an intern. The Star has seen a copy of the letter.
“He is currently studying at Unisa for a Bachelor of Commerce, sponsored by myself, and he is a family associate. I believe Kelvin has great potential, and an opportunity to get on-the-job experience will be very helpful,” Nair wrote.
When Ngwenya was appointed in 2013, he earned R9 575 a month even though he didn’t have any experience. He was hired as a payroll officer. Ngwenya is still employed by Pikitup as a temporary worker.
Several sources alleged that Ngwenya is a son of Nair’s domestic worker, but Pikitup spokesman Jacky Mashapu denied this. He, however, confirmed she had “disclosed a familial relationship” with Ngwenya.
Mashapu said Ngwenya was appointed following a rigorous recruitment process, in which Nair wasn’t involved.
A Pikitup official insisted the appointment was irregular. “What difference does it make whether if it’s a family member or a son of a domestic worker? Who else at Pikitup can appoint a relative and give them such a salary? This is nepotism, no matter how you look at it,” said the official, who didn’t want to be named.
Both Ngwenya and Thekiso refused to comment.
Nair isn’t new to controversy. In June, she was held briefly by the Hillbrow police for theft. She was arrested with Donovan Denyssen, an IT department employee, who allegedly gave Nair and her close relatives cellphones without following the proper procedures.
Last year, the City of Joburg’s risk management department conducted an investigation and found that several cellphones had gone missing from the safe room and that Denyssen was the only person who had the keys.
Denyssen told investigators he had “issued” Nair with three Samsung phones.
The report also states that, as a result of Denyssen’s action, Pikitup incurred a loss of R33 237 and that Nair should pay it back.
Last year, Denyssen resigned after the council investigated him. He was found guilty in absentia. Despite that, in May this year, Nair rehired Denyssen and gave him a whopping R1.4 million salary.
The charges against Nair and Denyssen were withdrawn in court after Pikitup officials wrote affidavits saying the cellphones no longer had value, so charges should be dropped.
Mashapu said the board had established the facts on this matter internally and was satisfied there was “no basis to the allegations of theft”.
The Star