A senior official at the Gauteng department of health, who was appointed irregularly three years ago, still occupies the position more than a year after the Public Service Commission (PSC) ordered that his appointment be reversed.
A recommendation was made by the PSC in July 2022, after the controversial appointment of Andrew Tiro as deputy director for HR in the West District. But the department has yet to take any action.
This is the third case of its sort in the department. Two other positions, deputy director-general for corporate services, a position given to Basani Baloyi last year and chief director for district health services, held by Canada Matsaneng, were also found by the PSC to have been irregular appointments. The MEC is yet to reverse them.
The PSC’s report on Tiro stated that the appointment must be reversed and directed the MEC to “ensure that review proceedings are instituted without delay”.
It said the department's West Rand district had unlawfully “counter-offered” Tiro, a then assistant director, who had somehow secured a deputy director post at Leratong Hospital “without having relevant qualifications”.
The MEC would like to clarify that the appointments in question predate her tenure. Upon assuming office, she diligently sought a briefing on the status of the report’s implementation.
— Tshepo Shawa, spokesperson for Gauteng health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko
The counter-offer ensured that Tiro was automatically, and unlawfully, promoted to deputy director of human resources at the West Rand district.
The PSC said the advert for the post had seemingly been crafted to suit Tiro’s qualifications or lack thereof.
When the former CEO of the hospital, who was at the helm in 2020, was asked to give an explanation “on the inclusion of a grade 12 requirement in the post”, he declined, the report said. Instead, he had “telephonically indicated that he was off sick”.
Gauteng health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko’s spokesperson Tshepo Shawa did not respond to questions about why the MEC and the department had not acted on the PSC report.
“The MEC would like to clarify that the appointments in question predate her tenure. Upon assuming office, she diligently sought a briefing on the status of the report’s implementation,” Shawa said.
Nkomo-Ralehoko has been health MEC since October last year. Shawa also did not respond to questions on how far the department was, with the implementation of the PSC recommendations related to Baloyi and Matsaneng.
“The MEC has fully embraced the recommendations and has directed that all resolutions per PSC guidance be executed. She is actively monitoring the progress of these implementations,” Shawa said.
TimesLIVE Premium reported three weeks ago how the department was reviewing the appointments of Baloyi and Matsaneng after the PSC found them to be irregular.
The PSC told TimesLIVE Premium that after the change of administration in the department in October 2022, the new MEC had been briefed about the report.
“Further follow-ups were made with the department on the progress of the implementation of the PSC’s recommendations. The MEC’s office advised that the matter is under consideration,” the PSC said.
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