Slumping staff morale, stalled disciplinary processes, and a raft of legislative work has served up Dr Harold Wesso, the Department of Communications' acting director-general (DG), a difficult time ahead.
“We have to essentially rebuild the department, while at the same time carrying on with the work that is expected of it,” says Wesso, who found himself catapulted into the hot seat this weekend, following the dismissal of DG Mamodupi Mohlala on Friday.
Furthermore, Wesso is only one of two deputy DGs left in the DOC, following an earlier literal cleaning out of the department by Mohlala, that has seen other deputy DGs either being placed on suspension or handing in their resignations.
Wesso is also acting CEO of the Meraka e-Skills Institute and is deputy DG of ICT policy development.
Forensic report
This is worse than a circus, because in a circus the clowns know when to stop performing and to leave the ring.
Anonymous DOC staff member
Some of the stalled disciplinary hearings are related to a forensic audit report that allegedly uncovered contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act and led to Mohlala disbanding the DOC's tender committee.
“There is a lot of work to be done. I have to find out where those disciplinary processes are at the moment and just how many are in the pipeline,” Wesso says.
One of the people facing a disciplinary hearing is Gerda Grabe, who was deputy DG for operations and was acting DG from the time Lyndall Shope-Mafole left at the end of 2008, until Mohlala was appointed in July 2009.
“At the same time, we have to continue developing the legislation that has to go before Parliament, such as the ICASA Amendment Act, and find out what is to be done about digital TV migration,” Wesso says.
However, staff at lower levels within the DOC are feeling despondent, as they say a climate of fear has gripped the department since Mohlala's appointment a year ago.
“People were just too scared to open their mouths and say anything. It is not that they were afraid of losing their jobs, but in the manner it was done,” says a DOC staffer, who prefers not to be named.
The DOC employees cite the sudden departure of Keith Shongwe, the former deputy DG for international affairs, who left 30 minutes after handing in his resignation, and instances of others who were immediately barred from their offices.
“Some said to me that I worked in a circus,” says another staff member. “But I said this is worse than a circus, because in a circus the clowns know when to stop performing and to leave the ring.”
They allege that communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda seemed blind to the goings on, as Mohlala appeared to be replacing people with her own loyal staff, many who came from the Pension Fund Adjudicators' office.
“It seems that the minister was too distracted by other things or that Mohlala had a free reign, or she was effectively covering it all up, but it seems he (the minister) only acted when it appeared that it would affect him too,” a third staff member says.
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