Johannesburg - The chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang, has been fired with immediate effect.
His axing follows an internal investigation by the Nelson Mandela Foundation Board after complaints about his conduct at the workplace.
The foundation announced Hatang had been fired in a statement issued by board chairperson Njabulo Ndebele on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Ndebele, the complaints centred around Hatang and came after his announcement on May 2 that he was resigning as CEO.
As Hatang was still serving his notice, Ndebele said he was placed on special leave while the complaints were independently investigated.
Ndebele said the investigation took into consideration the rights of the complainants and Hatang. In addition, it considered the Board’s commitment to entrenching the foundation’s core values of respect and trust.
“After considering the outcomes of the independent investigation, and ensuring that the process had been conducted fairly and without prejudice, the Board concluded that Mr Hatang’s conduct had been unbecoming and was unacceptable for someone in his position and that he should be summarily dismissed,” he said.
However, Ndebele said they could not comment further on the specifics of the matter as it has caused much distress to the foundation, its employees, and its broader community of stakeholders.
He said the focus was for the foundation to continue with its activities, specifically an approach to Madiba’s birthday commemorations on July 18, and also on fulfilling the Foundation’s mandate of promoting Madiba’s vision of freedom and equality for all.
He mentioned that the process of appointing a new CEO would begin soon.
“Alongside this, the trustees are working closely with the interim management of the Foundation to ensure a process of rebuilding staff morale after this extremely difficult episode,” he said.