Suspended Mangaung Metro Municipality spokesperson Qondile Khedama has been accused by his subordinate of sexual harassment.
The complainant known to Sunday World lodged her grievance with the municipality’s HR department in Bloemfontein last year in June; however, it took Mangaung five months to suspend Khedama.
Khedama, who is also a board member of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), has been on paid suspension since last November, when he had already earned R510 000 while sitting at home on his annual salary of R1.2-million.
Sunday World understands that municipal bosses had allegedly tried to get the matter sorted out amicably to the point where Mangaung had publicly stated that the issue was addressed; however, the complainant did not have any of it.
The complainant’s persistence to get justice and the involvement of her union, the South African Municipal Workers Union, pushing for a fair hearing, in which Khedama is also a member, forced the municipality to act and appoint advocate Mokete Mokhathi, who specialises in municipal law, labour relations, and local governance, to chair the grievance hearing.
Mokhathi held the preliminary hearing on May 11 in Welkom, Free State, and made recommendations on May 12 that a full disciplinary proceeding should be implemented.
Damning claims of sexual harassment
Speaking at the hearing, Mokhathi said the complainant made numerous damning allegations of sexual harassment against Khedama, in which she alleged that the conduct of her boss had affected her work and her health.
“I had the pleasure of perusing both documents submitted by both [complainant] and [accused] as part of their evidence.
“A grievance of this nature is a very sensitive one. Sexual harassment allegations cannot be dealt with through grievance proceedings.
“I won’t dwell much on other allegations such as victimisation and not allocating work, which I believe arose squarely from the allegations of sexual harassment.
“Allegations of this nature will be best addressed through disciplinary proceedings instead of procedure; it allows for a more formal investigation and fair examination of evidence from both parties,” said Mokhathi.
He added that the repeated nature of the alleged harassment and its impact on the victim’s health and work underlines the importance of taking the claims seriously.
“The employer’s failure to respond promptly is crucial, as timely action is essential in dealing with allegations of this nature.
“The code of good practice on sexual harassment emphasizes that serious incidents require formal disciplinary action rather than just mediation,” he said.
Mokhathi also said that in his recommendation, he needed to mention that it was his duty as a legal manager and the chairperson of the grievance inquiry to ensure that the grievance is resolved, but when doing so, the interest of the municipality should be first considered.
“Therefore, I hereby recommend that the matter be escalated to a full disciplinary proceeding, allowing for more thorough investigation and the opportunity to evaluate all the evidence in detail,” said Mokhathi.
When called for comment, Khedama said: “For the long and short of it, there are no such allegations, and do me a favour, speak to the city manager (Sello More) of Mangaung.”
Final report has been received
Mangaung spokesperson Nicolette Maysiels said: “The office of the city manager confirms that the final report arising from the grievance hearing relating to allegations of sexual harassment involving the general manager of communications [Khedama] was officially received on Monday, May 11.
“The city manager is currently undertaking the necessary consultations and administrative processes to consider the findings and recommendations contained in the report.
“This process is being conducted in accordance with applicable labour legislation, municipal governance prescripts, principles of procedural fairness, and the municipality’s internal disciplinary and grievance procedures.”
She added that Mangaung intended to conclude the process and communicate the outcome before May 26.
When contacted, MDDA spokesperson Ayabulela Poro said that there would be no comment from the agency regarding Khedama’s woes.
“We’re not issuing a response. I have said everything I needed to say. No response from us,” said Poro.
- Suspended Mangaung Metro Municipality spokesperson Qondile Khedama faces sexual harassment allegations from a subordinate, who filed a complaint in June last year; the municipality took five months to suspend him.
- Khedama has been on paid suspension since November, earning roughly R510,000 during this period on an annual salary of R1.2 million.
- Advocate Mokete Mokhathi chaired the grievance hearing, recommending that the matter proceed to a full disciplinary hearing due to the sensitive and serious nature of the allegations.
- The complainant’s union, the South African Municipal Workers Union, played a key role in ensuring a fair hearing, opposing the municipality's earlier attempts to handle the matter quietly.
- Mangaung’s city manager is reviewing the grievance report and will follow labor laws and municipal procedures to decide on disciplinary action, with a decision expected before May 26; Khedama denies the allegations.
“I had the pleasure of perusing both documents submitted by both [complainant] and [accused] as part of their evidence.
"A grievance of this nature is a very sensitive one. Sexual harassment allegations cannot be dealt with through grievance proceedings.
"I won’t dwell much on other allegations such as victimisation and not allocating work, which I believe arose squarely from the allegations of sexual harassment.
“Allegations of this nature will be best addressed through disciplinary proceedings instead of procedure; it allows for a more formal investigation and fair examination of evidence from both parties,” said
He added that the repeated nature of the alleged harassment and its impact on the victim’s health and work underlines the importance of taking the claims seriously.
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When called for comment,
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When contacted, MDDA spokesperson Ayabulela Poro said that there would be no comment from the agency regarding
"We're not issuing a response. I have said everything I needed to say. No response from us," said Poro.
