Premier Mabuza transfers Human Settlements top management to other departments
15 November 2012
An angry Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza has told the top management of the provincial Department of Human Settlements to pack their bags and get ready to be transferred to other departments.
Speaking yesterday [Wednesday, 14 November 2012] at an extra ordinary meeting with the entire management from the
Department of Human Settlements, Premier Mabuza voiced his frustrations that the department was failing him and the needy communities by not delivering the RDP houses as expected.
He said there was no authority in the department and that it was mainly occupied by relatives and politicians.
He said it was time to “dismantle the nest” as soon as possible because the officials knew each other very well as “comrades and relatives” which led to them being redundant and lacking authority.
This, he said, compromised service delivery at the expense of the needy people who relied on government for shelter.
He added that such made the officials not to care about service delivery as currently there was no performance progress.
“The working environment has completely been compromised. People are redundant and there is no authority. People cannot be politicians and at the same work for government, they are not pleasing us, instead they are creating more problems for government,” said Mabuza.
The Premier said the management would be replaced by others from other departments who would be able to find solutions to the problems faced by the department. The transfers would be done in groups until the department finally had new leadership with creative ideas to address the problems.
“I cannot preside over something that is collapsing, these people are no longer prepared to work, they want me and the ruling party to look bad to the people who voted us into this administration,” said the Premier.
The department has since delivered only 3 900 housing units throughout the province out of a target of 10 980, by the end of the financial year, however the delivered units are inclusive of those carried over from the previous financial year.
In terms of budget spending, the department is currently on 53 percent and it is expected to have spent at least 68 percent by the end of the month [November].
“We must agree that we have reached a dead-end. We can try to convince one another on paper; the reality is, this train is not moving. Houses have not been built and the people look at me and say I have lied to them.
“Sitting here, I am not convinced that we are doing things right. Probably you do not put yourselves in my shoes and think about how I feel about the whole situation. People want shelter and as politicians, we cannot be let down by you.
“If you are not prepared to move to other departments, I will personally take you to task. We are in government because the people gave us the mandate to run the country on their behalf, and we have entrusted you to deliver the services on our behalf,” said Mabuza.
He explained that he did not believe that the management did not have the necessary ability to do the work properly as some of the senior managers had been long in the department, they knew what ought to be done.
The management would know their fate next week after the transfers had been finalised by the team comprising of MEC Siphosezwe Masango, the provincial government’s Director-General Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize and head of department David Dube.
Furthermore, the Premier has confirmed that HOD Dube’s employment contract would not be renewed and his position would be advertised this coming weekend.
Issued by Zibonele Mncwango
Spokesperson: Mpumalanga Premier
Tel: (013) 766 – 2453
Cell: 079 491 0163
E-mail: zmncwango@mpg.gov.za