The man whose wife accused former City of Tshwane human settlements MMC Abel Tau of attempted rape last year is out in the cold.
The former senior official in the human settlements department, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was axed from his job by the new MMC Kgosietsile Kgosiemang in the same housing portfolio from which Tau was axed.
Today, Sunday World can reveal an official who previously had close ties with Tau, was also axed from his job as an executive assistant in the Tshwane metro council by the newly appointed Kgosiemang.
According to the unidentified man, he was also sent a letter terminating his services by the divisional head of human capital management in Tshwane, Victor Letshwiti.
In a letter sent to him on November 15, Letshwiti said the man was notified in terms staff policy that his services would be terminated with effect from
February 10.
He had previously engaged ActionSA’s senior party leaders, including party president Herman Mashaba and national chairperson Michael Beaumont, saying he was troubled by his job security, but was told to wait for Kgosiemang “to settle in his new position”.
The axed employee said he was told by Kgosiemang in November he should vacate his office with immediate effect after the new MMC allegedly told him “he could not be trusted”.
“Kgosietsile told me I could not be trusted, and he was not going to work with me. He said it was clear I was a persona non-grata in his department and the City of Tshwane,” the man said.
“Kgosietsile fired me on the spot as he made it clear to me he cannot work with me due to my proximity to the senior leadership of ActionSA.
“He told me I had brought the party into disrepute when I complained to ActionSA’s senate about the attempted rape of my wife by Abel [Tau]. Since Kgosietsile is a friend of Abel, they hatched the plan to fire me as they say I was talking too much and standing up for my family,” he said.
“I feel I was discriminated against and treated badly for reporting Tau to the party for violating my wife. I was fired for speaking up about wrong things done by ActionSA members.”
Kgosiemang confirmed to Sunday World that he told the man he felt uncomfortable working with him because he was highly connected to senior leaders in ActionSA.
The former ActionSA chief whip in Tshwane said “the man was going to be a ticking time bomb in my department” as he knew a lot and to keep him would amount to “a career and political suicide”.
“I spoke to (name withheld) and told him I cannot work with him as I felt uncomfortable to have him in my office since he was very close with the ActionSA leadership. If he has a proximity to the leadership, he will spy on me and tell my bosses about how I execute my duties and reveal confidential information about me,” said Kgosiemang.
“He demonstrated his influence and connections when he told me way before I was appointed MMC of human settlements that I was going to get the job. How did he know about such confidential information?
“He is highly connected to my bosses and knows a lot, and I thought having him in my department was going to be a huge mistake, hence I told him to leave. He will be paid in full for the remainder of his contract,” he said.
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