Two senior Eastern Cape education officials have been suspended as pressure mounts on the provincial government to act over the unspent R530-million meant for poor schools and the non-filling of vacant teaching posts.
But the suspension of deputy director-general for planning Philiswa Mdikane and chief director human resources Welile Payi was not enough for opposition parties, who demanded that more heads should roll.
The DA’s Edmund van Vuuren said the HoD had hit the nail on the head by suspending the two, but “more junior officials from both directorates must also be held to account”.
The suspensions comes after the provincial government was heavily criticised for its decision to return the R530-million that was meant to deal with the school infrastructure backlog and build proper schools where mud structures still existed.
Infrastructure falls under Mdikane’s planning directorate, while Payi heads the directorate Premier Phumulo Masualle gave four weeks to fill all vacant principal posts this year.
Provincial education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani confirmed yesterday that acting superintendent-general Siza Netshilaphala had issued suspension letters to Mdikana and Payi earlier this week.
“The HoD has indeed noted certain levels of gross under-performance, which has compromised our capacity to deliver on services that our people expect”.
There has been growing pressure on Masualle’s government to clean up education MEC Mandla Makupula’s department.
So far the premier has resisted calls to sack him – with senior government officials putting the blame on senior managers and not Makupula.
The R530-million has since been reallocated to other provinces.
Pulumani also said Mdikane’s suspension was linked to the department’s poor performance on infrastructure development.
Mdikane and Payi could not be reached for comment at the time of writing yesterday.
Van Vuuren said Payi’s directorate was to blame for the failure to fill more than 4000 vacant teaching posts in the province.
“It’s not only these people who are not doing their job. More people should be charged.”
Officials suspended over unspent millions
But the suspension of deputy director-general for planning Philiswa Mdikane and chief director human resources Welile Payi was not enough for opposition parties, who demanded that more heads should roll.
The DA’s Edmund van Vuuren said the HoD had hit the nail on the head by suspending the two, but “more junior officials from both directorates must also be held to account”.
The suspensions comes after the provincial government was heavily criticised for its decision to return the R530-million that was meant to deal with the school infrastructure backlog and build proper schools where mud structures still existed.
Infrastructure falls under Mdikane’s planning directorate, while Payi heads the directorate Premier Phumulo Masualle gave four weeks to fill all vacant principal posts this year.
Provincial education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani confirmed yesterday that acting superintendent-general Siza Netshilaphala had issued suspension letters to Mdikana and Payi earlier this week.
“The HoD has indeed noted certain levels of gross under-performance, which has compromised our capacity to deliver on services that our people expect”.
There has been growing pressure on Masualle’s government to clean up education MEC Mandla Makupula’s department.
So far the premier has resisted calls to sack him – with senior government officials putting the blame on senior managers and not Makupula.
The R530-million has since been reallocated to other provinces.
Pulumani also said Mdikane’s suspension was linked to the department’s poor performance on infrastructure development.
Mdikane and Payi could not be reached for comment at the time of writing yesterday.
Van Vuuren said Payi’s directorate was to blame for the failure to fill more than 4000 vacant teaching posts in the province.
“It’s not only these people who are not doing their job. More people should be charged.”
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