Free State head of treasury Masechaba Sesing is in hot water – the Public Service Commission (PSC) is investigating her for alleged corrupt practices regarding the recruitment of a senior employee in her department.
Sesing, a chartered accountant, is facing a charge of meddling in the recruitment processes, with a claim that she allegedly colluded with the department’s chief financial officer (CFO) regarding the appointment of a top official earmarked to oversee fiscal policy.
Upon receiving a complaint of the alleged meddling from the whistleblower, the commission wrote to the Free State premier Mxolisi Dukwana last month, flagging Sesing’s alleged involvement in flouting human resources recruitment processes.
The letter from the commission’s Dr Henk Boshoff, which Sunday World has seen, acknowledges the commission had received a complaint from a whistleblower on April 3, accusing Sesing of allegedly interfering in the recruitment process – and apparently deciding who should be appointed to the position of director of fiscal policy.
Boshoff stated that Sesing allegedly colluded with the CFO Adri Botes on who should be hired.
“The CFO, a Ms Botes, colluded with the HOD (Sesing) by telling her the selection panel had recommended a candidate the HOD did not prefer. The HOD immediately called two other panel members and instructed them to reconvene and reconsider their decision,” reads the letter.
The panel, because of the interference from the finance boss, changed their initial recommendation and scrapped the process that had already been finalised.
The letter to Dukwana stated that Botes was “buying favours” from Sesing because of allegations the CFO did not possess the required academic qualifications for the position.
Boshoff told Dukwana the PSC would probe the matter, and that advocate MC Mokoena would investigate the complaint.
The PSC is demanding that the provincial government provide a copy of the advertisement for the position, including the department’s recruitment policy, as well as a list of all the applicants, the shortlist submissions, with minutes detailing the shortlisting process.
Botes would not comment on the matter.
Treasury spokesperson Andrew Visagie said: “The enquiry from the PSC is deemed to be allegations. The matter is being attended to in the premier’s office.”
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