Former agriculture, land reform and rural development department CFO Jacob Basil Hlatshwayo will not receive his government pension as PPE corruption allegations mount.
This after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) successfully petitioned the Special Tribunal to interdict the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) from paying benefits due to Hlatshwayo.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the tribunal issued a temporary order prohibiting the GEPF from paying out the benefits and called on him to show cause, if any, on February 1 as to why the order should not be made final.
Kganyago said the order follows the SIU investigation into the department’s alleged irregular awarding of a personal protective equipment (PPE) contract to a company.
“The SIU was authorised to look into the transaction by the Presidential Proclamation R23 of 2020, paving way for the unit to investigate allegations of corruption, malpractice and maladministration in awarding PPE contracts by state institutions,” Kganyago said.
He added that during the investigation the SIU identified certain officials as involved in the alleged irregularities, one being the former CFO.
“The SIU was informed by the department that Hlatshwayo was dismissed on October 12 2020 in an unrelated matter. The SIU felt it prudent to secure the pension of the former CFO in order to finalise the investigation,” Kganyago said.
“Once the investigation is completed, the SIU intends to bring a formal application to the Special Tribunal to recover any losses suffered by the state as a result of the alleged irregular awarding of the contract,” he said.
SIU head advocate Andy Mothibi said: “The SIU will pursue civil litigation against any official if there is an indication that they have caused damage to the public money.”
Agriculture department spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo said Hlatshwayo was dismissed for his role in the irregular appointment of a company to provide transportation, processing, warehousing, marketing and selling of abalone and shark fins.
Ngcobo said Hlatshwayo was also dismissed for his role in alleged procurement irregularities relating to the appointment of a company to provide security facilities at Hout Bay and Kalk Bay harbours in Cape Town.
“Other charges related to the appointment of the former chief director: financial management as acting CFO when Hlatshwayo had no authority to do so.”
Ngcobo said Hlatshwayo was found guilty on all six charges he faced.
He said according to the Senior Management Services (SMS) Handbook, no provision is made for senior managers/members to appeal any sanction imposed on them.
Ngcobo said, however, such a person was entitled to invoke the dispute resolution mechanisms provided for by the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council (GPSSBC).
“Hlatshwayo has invoked these mechanisms and the matter is scheduled for arbitration,” he said.
Hlatshwayo refused to comment, referring Sunday Times Daily to his lawyers, whose details he refused to provide.
DA MP Thandeka Mbabama welcomed the freezing of Hlatshwayo’s benefits.
“We now call on the SIU to pursue similar personal liability costs against all government officials who have been implicated in Covid-19 corruption, in line with findings made by SIU investigations. Individuals who took part in an industrial scale looting of Covid-19 funds are currently walking around free and, worse, still in the employ of government,” she said.
Mbabama also called on agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza to work with the SIU and other law-enforcement agencies to identify officials who worked with Hlatshwayo to allegedly embezzle state funds from the department.
“In addition to criminal charges, the implicated officials must also face state asset recovery orders individually.”
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