Members of parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education and training were left perplexed about the employment status of Construction Education and Training Authority (Ceta) CEO Malusi Shezi.
Shezi was reported to have been suspended early in August; however, he rocked up in parliament as part of a delegation from Ceta.
The delegation was in parliament last week to brief the committee on matters related to governance and maladministration.
Ceta, the Services Sector Education and Training Authority, and the labour union National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) appeared in parliament to brief the committee on the progress in implementing action plans on audit findings and governance and corruption irregularities.
The chairperson of the committee, Tebogo Letsie, noted that Nehawu even issued a press release acknowledging Shezi’s suspension.
On August 7, Nehawu released a statement praising Shezi’s suspension, claiming that the Ceta board had done so due to his interference with and misconduct with the organisation’s procurement procedures.
“We are vindicated as the union by this suspension. The suspension of Mr Shezi is long overdue, and as Nehawu, we hold a strong view that it should have happened long ago,” Nehawu said in a statement at the time.
“Since his appointment, Shezi has managed the Ceta through an autocratic leadership and intransigent management style and victimised workers.”
Letsie enquired about Shezi’s suspension under the direction of Ceta board chairperson Thabo Masombuka.
Pressure to suspend the CEO
“We read media articles saying the CEO is suspended and the board keeps mum. We don’t know whether the CEO is suspended or not suspended,” said Letsie.
“I see the CEO is here. We have also seen the Nehawu letter accepting the suspension of the CEO, and the board kept quiet.
“They [the board] must take us into confidence about what is happening at that entity of government.”
Addressing the committee before handing over to Shezi to present the Ceta’s report responding to allegations of corruption and maladministration at the entity, Masombuka said there were “voices and pressures to compel” the accounting authority to suspend its CEO.
“Issues of suspension are legal, labour-related, procedural processes,” said Masombuka.
“The board or any other institution does not wake up and suspend, but you follow what is called due process.
“We are not going to wake up and suspend because the laws of this country, the procedures of this country, and the constitution of this country allow all accused individuals to be provided with the benefit of the doubt.”
He said the board ensured that it leaned on the side of caution.
“We have done that at a risk, because that has been interpreted in some quarters as being lenient to the CEO.”
Decision taken in writing
Masombuka added that there were records of special board meetings that deliberated on the allegations against the CEO.
“We have taken a decision in writing, we have signed a resolution, and we have communicated that resolution to the office of the minister,” he said.
“We wanted to make sure that whatever decision we make in the face of all this adversity … they pass the test of legal scrutiny should our decisions be subjected to further scrutiny.”
Nehawu continued its call for the suspension of Shezi in its presentation to parliament.
The union accused him of harassment, censoring staff, intimidation, creating a toxic work environment, and victimising and bullying employees.
It also called for an independent investigation into all suspensions and dismissals at the entity.
The union further requested that a forensic investigation of procurement at the entity be conducted.
