A senior official in charge of the finances of the Eastern Cape education department has quit amid allegations of poor performance.
The Daily Dispatch has learned that the department’s chief accounting officer (CFO) Henry Isaacs left the department amid unanswered questions relating to the auditor-general’s findings over management of the department’s finances.
Eastern Cape education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima confirmed that Isaacs had left saying: “An amicable agreement was reached with Mr Isaacs. He is no longer the accounting officer of the department.”
Mtima said Xoliswa Kese was the acting CFO.
Kese and Isaacs were among 10 officials deployed in 2012 to the education department by the provincial treasury and office of the premier to bring in expertise from various fields and consolidate the department.
Isaacs was placed on precautionary suspension in November.
His post was advertised in the Sunday Times last week together with that of the chief directors for curriculum management; education social support services; institutional management; development and governance; strategic planning; and supply chain management and directors for internal audits and labour relations.
The department also suspended two senior managers – deputy director-general Philiswa Mdikane and human resource manager Welile Payi – who face disciplinary action.
Eastern Cape provincial portfolio committee on education chairman, Fundile Gade, said he was briefed by education MEC Mandla Makupula on Wednesday evening about the three cases. Gade said Isaacs opted to take a package amid disciplinary processes.
“The MEC indicated that he opted for a package. After he had been served with charges, there was an option for him to be demoted to directorship and he initially agreed but later decided to take the package and the matter seemed serious because it was related to the AG’s report.”
Gade said Mdikane was part of the team leading infrastructure provisioning in the province which was responsible for the national Treasury taking R530-million away from the province.
He said Payi’s case was related to an incapacity to employ teachers.
“The premier said earlier this year that we must have a teacher in front of a child in every school by no later than February. Yet, we still we have schools which do not have teachers,” Gade said. —msindisif@dispatch.co.za
Suspended Bhisho CFO quits
The Daily Dispatch has learned that the department’s chief accounting officer (CFO) Henry Isaacs left the department amid unanswered questions relating to the auditor-general’s findings over management of the department’s finances.
Eastern Cape education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima confirmed that Isaacs had left saying: “An amicable agreement was reached with Mr Isaacs. He is no longer the accounting officer of the department.”
Mtima said Xoliswa Kese was the acting CFO.
Kese and Isaacs were among 10 officials deployed in 2012 to the education department by the provincial treasury and office of the premier to bring in expertise from various fields and consolidate the department.
Isaacs was placed on precautionary suspension in November.
His post was advertised in the Sunday Times last week together with that of the chief directors for curriculum management; education social support services; institutional management; development and governance; strategic planning; and supply chain management and directors for internal audits and labour relations.
The department also suspended two senior managers – deputy director-general Philiswa Mdikane and human resource manager Welile Payi – who face disciplinary action.
Eastern Cape provincial portfolio committee on education chairman, Fundile Gade, said he was briefed by education MEC Mandla Makupula on Wednesday evening about the three cases. Gade said Isaacs opted to take a package amid disciplinary processes.
“The MEC indicated that he opted for a package. After he had been served with charges, there was an option for him to be demoted to directorship and he initially agreed but later decided to take the package and the matter seemed serious because it was related to the AG’s report.”
Gade said Mdikane was part of the team leading infrastructure provisioning in the province which was responsible for the national Treasury taking R530-million away from the province.
He said Payi’s case was related to an incapacity to employ teachers.
“The premier said earlier this year that we must have a teacher in front of a child in every school by no later than February. Yet, we still we have schools which do not have teachers,” Gade said. —msindisif@dispatch.co.za
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