Department of Transport (DoT) national spokesperson Collen Msibi is in hot water after an internal probe found that he was behind an “anonymous complaint” against his subordinate.
Msibi was found guilty of plotting to nail his junior, senior manager Esethu Hasane, under the pretext of being a whistleblower.
This is contained in an investigation report by a labour relations expert from the Gauteng Department of Health, which DoT head honchos have been sitting on for two months.
The report is now at the office of public protector Adv Kholeka Gcaleka, who is also probing Msibi for the complaint.
The saga emanates from a complaint about Hasane purporting to be from a whistleblower who was not happy that the ANC activist protested his party forming the government of national unity (GNU) with the DA as a member.
The report, which we have seen, says Hasane was well within his right to air his political views, which had nothing to do with his employer, on a day when he was on leave, ironically approved by Msibi.
On Msibi, the report is scathing: “Through IT processes it was established that the compiler of the letter purported to be a whistleblower was drafted by Mr Msibi, who knowingly submitted a false anonymous complaint. This constitutes misconduct.”
“Mr Msibi’s actions suggest a targeted attempt to discipline Mr Hasane unfairly. It is unfair to want to approach disciplinary issues in the form of whistleblowing by a manager when the manager’s duty is to discipline to correct behaviour without fear.”
The report found that Msibi acted in bad faith in approving Hasane’s leave, only to turn around and sponsor the bogus “whistleblower” tip-off designed to send his subordinate to the gallows.
Msibi allegedly wrote the letter purporting to be a concerned whistleblower after Hasane had appeared outside Birchwood Hotel, fielding TV interviews slamming the ANC for going to bed with the DA.
“The fact that the name of his department was mentioned does not bring the department into disrepute because there was no position of the department he presented. Mr Hasane presented his personal political stance as a supporter of the ANC who does not believe in the GNU [with the DA].”
Consequently, the investigator was unequivocal that the complaint was bogus. It slammed Msibi for allegedly abusing whistleblower protections and called on him to desist from clandestine machinations against subordinates but to follow normal and transparent processes to discipline those who report to him.
“Mr Hasane’s concerns about his reporting lines and workplace relations must be looked into, and an informed decision should be taken.”
While the department was hiding the report, Hasane went on to obtain an interim protection order against Msibi, with his family issuing a public statement saying he was fearing for his life.
Minister Barbara Creecy distanced herself from the saga, while acting DG Mathabatha Mokonyama said the department had done everything to make sanity prevail. “The department remains committed to ensuring that employer-employee relations are maintained at healthy and cordial at all times. That is why the employee wellness programme was offered to Mr Hasane who welcomed the initiative,” said Mokonyama.
