Corruption and maladministration at USAASA: victimisation of whistleblowers
TO: His Excellency, Mr Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic South Africa
FROM: Bantu Holomisa, MP
The abovementioned matter had reference.
I also refer to an:
- email from Mr Gcina Ntsaluba of Corruption Watch, dated 20 January 2014, as well as
- Adv. Sithembiso Nkatha, Chief Director, Legal Services of the Department of Communications’ “Analysis on the forensic report of Gobodo on the appointment of the chief executive officer (“CEO”) for the Universal Service and Access Agency (“USAASA”) and whether any impropriety pursuant to the previous employment relationship between CEO and board chairperson, and cell c proposal for 100% subsidy by USAASA and whether payment and appointment of service providers met the legal requirements:” dated 5 September 2013.
We wish to thank you because after we wrote to you on the 7th of June 2013, some action was taken as proven by the aforementioned analysis by the Chief Director.
We however wish to raise serious concern, regarding the information supplied by Mr Gcina Ntsaluba in his aforementioned email that the whistleblowers have all been fired for allegedly “leaking confidential information”.
The fear that we expressed in our 7 June letter had realised: we then warned that: “…the Morudu’s of this world will be removed to ensure that the CEO’s directive comes to fruition and thereby satisfying the leadership of the Department of Communication and USAASA.”
He was indeed victimised and fired along with two other colleagues who were accused of the similar conduct. The truth is that if it had not been for Mr Mmatlou Morudu’s refusal to implement the project half a billion Rand would have been released to Cell C.
We appeal to your office to intervene and: ?
Firstly, ensure that the Minister of Communications takes the appropriate action. He has been sitting on the report since September last year and if he had made the effort to adequately address the problems, the personnel who were fired would still be employed at Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA). What was the point of spending taxpayers’ money to appoint auditors to investigate the matter, if the Minister does not have the will to act on the auditors findings?
Secondly, we ask that you ensure that those workers, who were fired, are reinstated with immediate effect pending the outcome of this entire mess.
Kind regards
Copied to: Mr Gcina Ntsaluba of Corruption Watch
