No confusion at DoC: Vilakazi

There is no confusion at the Department of Communications (DoC) with respect to the recently returned director-general (DG) Rosey Sekese. This is according to deputy DG of administration Sam Vilakazi, who was speaking to journalists at a press briefing today (13 May 2013).

Responding to questions about discussions in parliament about Sekese, Vilakazi added that no disciplinary process is currently under way at the DoC.

Vilakazi went on to request that if there were any such process in future, that media leave the department to handle the matter internally.

“Even in your own institutions you have disciplinary processes, but we never get to know about them, and we are not interested,” Vilakazi told the media.

“I would rather request we be afforded space to deal with governance and administration issues without having to deal with them in the public,” he said.

Vilakazi explained this appeal by saying that because it involves people, it isn’t in the interest of the individuals or the Department to have disciplinary matters discussed in public.

“It is not nice… when those things are happening people begin to read about it in the media,” he said.

Sekese has been on “special leave” until recently, with media reports suggesting that the DG had to resort to legal action to be able to return to work after she found herself locked out.

Sam Vilakazi

Transfer of power?

It has also been reported that Pule is using deputy director-general of international affairs at the DoC, Gift Buthelezi, as acting DG.

In particular, media reports suggested that all human resources responsibilities had been transferred from Sekese to Buthelezi.

When asked about this, Vilakazi said that from time to time officials in the department are assigned responsibilities.

“So that is more an internal arrangement in terms of how we do our work,” Vilakazi said.

He said he wished to reiterate that there is no confusion and that the work of the department is continuing.

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