The hunting down of whistleblowers” narrative is false and misleading
The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) has begun to initiate internal processes, including forensic investigations, against DPE officials who have been implicated in irregular or unlawful conduct.
As recent evidence and testimony to the Zondo Commission of Inquiry with respect to State- Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have shown, the DPE was at the centre of the state capture project. The Department became the subject of repeated political interference to weaken its institutional capability and its crucial functions of oversight over key strategic SOE’s like Transnet, Eskom, Denel and SAA.
By the time the current administration assumed office, a number of internal investigations had been commissioned by the DPE into acts of corruption, malfeasance and irregular appointments.
The DPE has now contracted several forensic investigations firms from a panel of approved service providers on the National Treasury Central Supplier database, to investigate several matters, including tender irregularities, corruption, the irregular appointment of staff from other provinces, and the unlawful distribution of confidential government information.
To date, some DPE officials have been placed on precautionary suspension whist the services of others are being terminated due to non-performance
During the past week, media enquiries from different journalists, indicate that some disgruntled DPE officials, who may be affected by current investigations, have mounted a public campaign by portraying themselves as “whistleblowers” under the Protected Disclosures Act, and that they are being targeted by the DPE.
The DPE wishes to alert the media that the Act is very specific about how and to whom disclosures can be made in order to have legal protection. The Law does not protect the malicious leaking of information for ulterior purposes by those accused of acts of corruption and malfeasance.
Allegations are again being advanced to the media that attack the Chief of Staff in the Ministry of Public Enterprises, Ms Nthabiseng Borotho, her qualifications and her appointment. The DPE has dealt with these allegations in a public statement on 7 March 2020, when these were first raised by the Sunday Independent newspaper, which statement is attached.
The same allegations regarding Ms Borotho are now resurfacing, including again from the Sunday Independent. The DPE’s position in relation to these allegations has not changed since March 2020. Ms Borotho is a committed and valuable resource for the DPE and her appointment was done with absolute compliance to public service requirements, regulations and the law.
For the record, it must be clarified that the suspension of Ms Tshegofatso Motaung by the DPE, resulted from an investigation into mismanagement of a service provider and possible fruitless expenditure. Further, it should pointed out that her transfer with other officials from the Free State provincial government to the DPE by the former Director-General, Mr Richard Mogokare Seleke, remains an area of investigation.
It is not related to any investigation into leakages of sensitive information to media. Questions from the Sunday Independent, received this morning, seek to present this as the “hunting down of whistleblowers”. Such allegations are rejected as false, malicious and contrived.
The DPE wants to appeal to the media to remain objective and circumspect when nefarious disinformation campagins are presented to journalists as credible and factual. For the sake of transparency, for the public interest and to strengthen our public institutions, we should work together in good faith to prevent another occurence where the media is misled and used to advance corruption and state capture.
The DPE reserves its right to raise grievances with unethical and false news reporting with the appropriate authorities and through established channels.
Media enquiries:
Richard Mantu
Cell: 072 488 1520
