Release the findings
By Business Day, 30 March 2007
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COMMUNICATIONS Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri’s plan to fire South African Post Office CEO Khutso Mampeule should, in theory, bring an end to the uncertainty surrounding the leadership of that organisation. But alas, the way the situation is being handled by government means this is unlikely to be the case.
On the face of it, Matsepe Casaburri has taken decisive action. Chairwoman Phuti Tsukudu has been elbowed out, with the minister announcing last week that a new chairperson and four new directors had been appointed to the board. Then this week, Matsepe-Casaburri said she had lost confidence in Mampeule and there had been a breakdown of trust between Mampeule and the board.
The problem is that we have no idea what she has based these decisions on. We can presume they relate to the outcome of the probe she commissioned last year into irregularities and governance issues. But we don’t know, since the minister is keeping the report secret. Let us not forget that the issues investigated were of an extremely serious nature, and the resulting turmoil had a big impact on staff morale and decision making at the organisation.
In a nutshell, the saga began last year when Mampeule laid a criminal complaint against former Post Office CEO Maanda Manyatshe for allegedly awarding a R100m tender without following procedure. Manyatshe fought back, threatening to sue the Post Office. Both men landed up without jobs, with Manyatshe resigning as MD of MTN and Mampeule suspended.
So what are the findings of that probe? Do they exonerate Manyatshe, in which case his reputation has been severely tarnished for no good reason? And exactly what are the findings against Mampeule — have the good governance and operational performance of the Post Office been undermined?
Taxpayers, who have been funding the Post Office for years, deserve some straight answers. The findings need to be made public, urgently.
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