“The system is down” — Home Affairs officials deliberately destroying systems
Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has told City Press that he will suspend or arrest everyone in his department if that’s what it takes to clean up the rampant corruption that has taken root.
Motsoaledi said that he’d heard the sardonic jokes that he would have to fire two-thirds of the staff at Home Affairs to get rid of corruption.
“If we have to get rid of two-thirds of the department’s officials to clean it up from what it is, then so be it. And that process has started,” the minister vowed.
Sources inside the department have told the City Press that Home Affairs officials are methodically breaking down systems.
They are also turning a blind eye to problems and allowing operational deterioration to continue.
Where staff were supposed to face disciplinary action for alleged misconduct, senior officials “threw cases away”.
Motsoaledi has said that enough is enough.
The minister is willing to tear the Department of Home Affairs down to bedrock and rebuild it from scratch if needs be.
His comments to the City Press came after he and home affairs director-general Livhuwani Makhode were served with three warrants of arrest for contempt of court.
Three senior officials had reportedly failed to execute court orders involving payouts of R11 million to junior staff who were supposed to be fired.
The three accused are deputy director-general of human resources Nkidi Mohoboko, labour relations director Ditsoanelo Mosikili and chief director of employee services Sello Malaka.
Makhode gave all three suspension letters on 21 December for alleged gross negligence.
According to Motsoaledi, he and Makhode did not know about the original court orders as the suspended officials sat on them.
He explained that the warrants are for their arrest because they are the leaders of the Department of Home Affairs.
“But can you now imagine an official not doing their job and you getting a warrant of arrest without knowing?” the minister stated.
Motsoaledi promised that someone would answer for it.
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