Kenny Dichabe, the suspended chief executive of the Free State Gambling, Liquor and Tourism Authority, has returned to his position following allegations of misconduct.
Dichabe was placed on precautionary suspension in April for allegedly failing to prevent corruption within the entity.
It was claimed that fraudulent liquor licences were issued during his tenure.
Dichabe explained that he did not announce his return to work due to uncertainty about how his colleagues would react.
He said the acting CEO, Lefa Kalane, was appointed only until Wednesday and that he would formally resume his responsibilities on Thursday.
“It is technically the end of my week-one return from exile and it has, to a large extent, been incident-free and we can only hope it stays that way going forward,” said Dichabe.
Backing from Free State premier
His return on October 14 came after Ketso Makume, the Free State MEC for finance, economic development and tourism, failed to make a decision regarding his case before the return date as per court order.
Court documents indicate that Makube is required to launch an investigation into claims of financial misconduct.
Should the allegations be substantiated, he must initiate the necessary disciplinary actions. He was granted 20 days to do so, which have since lapsed.
An anonymous message circulating on WhatsApp suggested that Dichabe had political backing, claiming that Free State premier Queen Letsoa-Mathae had facilitated his return to work.
The message further claims that she also received a liquor licence illegally for her establishment.
In response, Makume dismissed these claims, stating that the premier had no role in Dichabe’s reinstatement.
Investigation ongoing
Makume explained that Dichabe had sought a court ruling following his suspension, which, on September 12, affirmed that the MEC had the authority to discipline him.
An investigation into the allegations against Dichabe is currently ongoing.
“Therefore, the return of the CEO to work was not sanctioned by the premier. His return is a matter that is being handled through internal and legal processes,” said Makume.
“We are handling this matter within the legal parameters available.
“It is for this reason that we want to assure our stakeholders and the public that we will continue working tirelessly to ensure that the entity delivers on its mandate and that service delivery is not compromised.”
Makume added that he rejects any attempt to drag the premier or other colleagues into the matter.
