Ngonzo accused of unilateral tender decision
PROVINCIAL education boss Mthunywa Ngonzo’s tenure at the helm of the troubled department could be coming to an end after he was suspended yesterday.
He has been in the position for only 16 months and has a five-year contract with the provincial government.
His suspension comes months after he was praised for his visionary leadership and credited for turning the department around after the province recorded a 64.9% matric pass rate last year.
The department would not confirm the suspension last night, and Ngonzo himself referred the Daily Dispatch to education MEC Mandla Makupula for comment.
Eastern Cape provincial government director-general Mbulelo Sogoni said he was not aware of the suspension.
But the Dispatch can exclusively reveal that the decision to suspend Ngonzo will be communicated to senior departmental managers at a meeting later today.
The Dispatch has also been told that at the centre of the political fall out between Ngonzo and Makupula is a R100-million contract awarded to a Johannesburg company, Fever Tree Consulting, to overhaul the department’s administration.
Makupula, who was attending a legislature debate on premier Phumulo Masualle’s state of the province address in Bhisho, denied any knowledge of either a plan to boot out the accounting officer or having already served him with a letter of suspension.
Sogoni would not discuss whether or not it was the office of the premier, as the employer, who served Ngonzo with his suspension letter.
But four independent sources close to developments, including two former senior officials who still have close ties to the department, confirmed the suspension.
Last night they told the Dispatch that Ngonzo was first served with a letter to give reasons why he should not be suspended last week. Yesterday he was then suspended.
“The five days he was given has expired, and that is why the letter was delivered to him this morning,” said one senior education official, who asked not to be named.
Ngonzo took over the reigns as the head of department after the departure of Modidima Mannya, whose three-year contract was terminated 19 months before it was due to end.
It was Ngonzo’s decision to unilaterally appoint Fever Tree as the sole bidder three months after his appointment , without a tender, that raised political ire.
Makupula himself only got to know about the decision through the grapevine.
The oversight committee on education in Bhisho and the national Department of Basic Education (DBE), headed by Minister Angie Motshekga, also did not know about the Fever Tree contract or how it was awarded.
Makupula approached the Public Service Commission to investigate how the contract was awarded, the results of which are still pending.
The Dispatch understands the two offices have been working parallel to each other ever since.
The rumour of Ngonzo’s suspension first surfaced last December but amounted to nothing after senior politicians came to Ngonzo’s rescue.
Education portfolio committee chairwoman Koliswa Fihlani could last night only confirm there were some “challenges” within the department.
She also said she was not aware of the suspension.
“I cannot comment on this until we receive a report from the MEC as the committee,” said Fihlani. — Additional reporting by Asanda Nini.
Education head suspended
PROVINCIAL education boss Mthunywa Ngonzo’s tenure at the helm of the troubled department could be coming to an end after he was suspended yesterday.
He has been in the position for only 16 months and has a five-year contract with the provincial government.
His suspension comes months after he was praised for his visionary leadership and credited for turning the department around after the province recorded a 64.9% matric pass rate last year.
The department would not confirm the suspension last night, and Ngonzo himself referred the Daily Dispatch to education MEC Mandla Makupula for comment.
Eastern Cape provincial government director-general Mbulelo Sogoni said he was not aware of the suspension.
But the Dispatch can exclusively reveal that the decision to suspend Ngonzo will be communicated to senior departmental managers at a meeting later today.
The Dispatch has also been told that at the centre of the political fall out between Ngonzo and Makupula is a R100-million contract awarded to a Johannesburg company, Fever Tree Consulting, to overhaul the department’s administration.
Makupula, who was attending a legislature debate on premier Phumulo Masualle’s state of the province address in Bhisho, denied any knowledge of either a plan to boot out the accounting officer or having already served him with a letter of suspension.
Sogoni would not discuss whether or not it was the office of the premier, as the employer, who served Ngonzo with his suspension letter.
But four independent sources close to developments, including two former senior officials who still have close ties to the department, confirmed the suspension.
Last night they told the Dispatch that Ngonzo was first served with a letter to give reasons why he should not be suspended last week. Yesterday he was then suspended.
“The five days he was given has expired, and that is why the letter was delivered to him this morning,” said one senior education official, who asked not to be named.
Ngonzo took over the reigns as the head of department after the departure of Modidima Mannya, whose three-year contract was terminated 19 months before it was due to end.
It was Ngonzo’s decision to unilaterally appoint Fever Tree as the sole bidder three months after his appointment , without a tender, that raised political ire.
Makupula himself only got to know about the decision through the grapevine.
The oversight committee on education in Bhisho and the national Department of Basic Education (DBE), headed by Minister Angie Motshekga, also did not know about the Fever Tree contract or how it was awarded.
Makupula approached the Public Service Commission to investigate how the contract was awarded, the results of which are still pending.
The Dispatch understands the two offices have been working parallel to each other ever since.
The rumour of Ngonzo’s suspension first surfaced last December but amounted to nothing after senior politicians came to Ngonzo’s rescue.
Education portfolio committee chairwoman Koliswa Fihlani could last night only confirm there were some “challenges” within the department.
She also said she was not aware of the suspension.
“I cannot comment on this until we receive a report from the MEC as the committee,” said Fihlani. — Additional reporting by Asanda Nini.
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