An inquiry into sex-for-jobs claims in Eastern Cape government circles has seen another senior manager suspended.
Vuyokazi Sonamzi, general manager in the office of the head of the cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) department, was served last Wednesday with a letter of suspension.
She becomes the second senior manager to be suspended after Cogta head of department Stanley Khanyile was placed on precautionary suspension two weeks ago.
The Daily Dispatch was informed that another general manager and three managers have been suspended but could not independently confirm this.
Cogta spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam confirmed Sonamzi’s suspension, pending finalisation of the investigation.
Ngam did not give further details, saying the suspension was an internal matter.
Sonamzi said she had been advised by acting head Ngwadi Mzamo that Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa had instructed him to place her on precautionary suspension, pending the conclusion of the investigation currently under way in the department.
“He did not inform me about the reasons for the suspension except what I mentioned above.
The suspension was effective from October 22 and there is no end date for the suspension,” she added.
The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) chairman at Cogta, Lennox Maho, said the union welcomed any action taken by the department in its efforts to purge it of suspected wrongdoers.
“Although we haven’t been told much about this officially, we support it,” Maho said.
Asked about the other suspensions, he said: “So far still rumours and we will not comment on .”
Xasa placed Khanyile on precautionary suspension following the department’s investigation into sex-for-jobs claims.
The Daily Dispatch reported that more sex-for-jobs and jobs-for-pals complainants had come forward over the alleged practices in the department.
Last month Xasa appointed a task team led by chairman of the Transkei Bar of Advocates, Vusumzi Msiwa, to investigate the claims.
Msiwa told the Dispatch last week that his team had submitted a report to Xasa on his team’s investigation.
“The office of the MEC has been furnished with a report,” Msiwa said.
The task team was tasked early last month to investigate various allegations against senior administrators, including Khanyile.
Nehawu alleged Khanyile was “implicated in the intended ignorance of recruitment policy and employing foreigners and also not implementing the employment equity policy”.
In July, the Dispatch published a report of a woman in her 50s who claimed to have endured seven years of sexual assault – repeatedly being raped and degraded by her boss in Xasa’s department.
She submitted an affidavit detailing her assault at the hands of her then boss, who has since left the department.
The allegations of nepotism and managers using their positions to demand sexual favours in exchange for jobs first surfaced at the Bhisho legislature a few months back.
Msiwa said all officials accused of improper conduct were furnished with statements containing the allegations.
The committee has adjourned its sitting and will resume its function on November 9. — mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
Second senior Bhisho manager suspended in sex-for-jobs probe
Vuyokazi Sonamzi, general manager in the office of the head of the cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) department, was served last Wednesday with a letter of suspension.
She becomes the second senior manager to be suspended after Cogta head of department Stanley Khanyile was placed on precautionary suspension two weeks ago.
The Daily Dispatch was informed that another general manager and three managers have been suspended but could not independently confirm this.
Cogta spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam confirmed Sonamzi’s suspension, pending finalisation of the investigation.
Ngam did not give further details, saying the suspension was an internal matter.
Sonamzi said she had been advised by acting head Ngwadi Mzamo that Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa had instructed him to place her on precautionary suspension, pending the conclusion of the investigation currently under way in the department.
“He did not inform me about the reasons for the suspension except what I mentioned above.
The suspension was effective from October 22 and there is no end date for the suspension,” she added.
The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) chairman at Cogta, Lennox Maho, said the union welcomed any action taken by the department in its efforts to purge it of suspected wrongdoers.
“Although we haven’t been told much about this officially, we support it,” Maho said.
Asked about the other suspensions, he said: “So far still rumours and we will not comment on .”
Xasa placed Khanyile on precautionary suspension following the department’s investigation into sex-for-jobs claims.
The Daily Dispatch reported that more sex-for-jobs and jobs-for-pals complainants had come forward over the alleged practices in the department.
Last month Xasa appointed a task team led by chairman of the Transkei Bar of Advocates, Vusumzi Msiwa, to investigate the claims.
Msiwa told the Dispatch last week that his team had submitted a report to Xasa on his team’s investigation.
“The office of the MEC has been furnished with a report,” Msiwa said.
The task team was tasked early last month to investigate various allegations against senior administrators, including Khanyile.
Nehawu alleged Khanyile was “implicated in the intended ignorance of recruitment policy and employing foreigners and also not implementing the employment equity policy”.
In July, the Dispatch published a report of a woman in her 50s who claimed to have endured seven years of sexual assault – repeatedly being raped and degraded by her boss in Xasa’s department.
She submitted an affidavit detailing her assault at the hands of her then boss, who has since left the department.
The allegations of nepotism and managers using their positions to demand sexual favours in exchange for jobs first surfaced at the Bhisho legislature a few months back.
Msiwa said all officials accused of improper conduct were furnished with statements containing the allegations.
The committee has adjourned its sitting and will resume its function on November 9. — mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
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