DA welcomes Public Protector ordering City of Matlosana to reinstate a whistle-blower
17 May 2019
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West welcomes the instruction by Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, ordering the City of Matlosana to reinstate a whistle-blower and to put in place a policy to protect whistle-blowers in future.
Mkhwebane found that the municipality unduly suspended Mpho Seero, the Chief Audit Executive, for blowing the whistle on irregular and unauthorised expenditure of more than R54 million.
It was alleged that the then acting Municipal Manager Sipho Mabuda was involved in corrupt activities.
The DA will ensure that the current municipal manager, as instructed by the Public Protector, table the report on this issue, in council before 13 June 2019. The current Municipal Manager is furthermore obliged to write an apology letter to Seero.
Following her investigation, the Public Protector found that Seero’s suspension was unreasonable, unfair and could justifiably be seen as an exercise to remove Seero, who had accused Mabuda of being involved in the corrupt activities.
It is an indictment that there is no policy in place to protect whistle-blowers whereby they can report corruption in a protected and confidential environment.
We furthermore welcome the Public Protector’s instruction that the municipal manager also has to ensure that a policy is drafted within the next 90 days, dealing with protected disclosures in the workplace.
This decision is aligned with the DA’s policy to protect and encourage whistleblowing in the quest to root out corruption in government. Under a DA government, those found guilty of corruption will face a 15 years jail sentence.
We will therefore not stop advocating for a clear policy to protect employees exposing fraud and corruption from retaliation by corrupt and disgruntled people in senior positions. The DA will not stop to promote this policy in our legislatures and Parliament.
Issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Provincial Leader, 17 May 2019
