Africa-Press – Eswatini. Bhekithemba Gama, the Principal Secretary(PS) has allegedly been labelled “sichwala lesihamba nge-wheelchair” by Education and Training Minister Owen Nxumalo.
It has been disclosed that, the Cabinet Minister did not end there but, wrote to the Civil Service Commission(CSC) calling for the removal of the PS on medical grounds.
Electronic evidence suggests that around July 2024, Secretary to Cabinet Victor Nxumalo and officials from the Civil Service Commission(CSC) visited the Ministry of Education Offices to engage, try and negotiate with the PS to go on sick leave for at least six(6) months, the PS had suffered stroke and using a wheelchair.
But subsequent to that meeting, the Education Minister allegedly wrote to the CSC calling for the removal of the PS, Owen Nxumalo wanted Naniki Mnisi as the new Principal Secretary.
An influential source within the CSC told this publication this week that, the clique within the Ministry of Education that wanted to remove Gama had even gone to King Mswati to report that, Gama “is sick and therefore” must be removed.
“I listened to your audio where you were talking about the issue of the PS, they even wrote a letter to us,calling for his removal but we suggested a sick leave because Gama is a permanent PS employed by Government, you cannot just remove him just because he is sick. Even the Acting PS in the Ministry of Education must consult with him on certain decision because he is still the PS”, said an influential source within the Civil Service Commission.
Reached for comments by this publication on Friday evening, King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said, in such situations, the King does not act on advice from individuals but the relevant bodies and in this context, the Civil Service Commission.
“Our experience is that the King acts on advice by the relevant bodies dealing with the employment of Civil Servants appointed by himself acting, yet again on the advice of these bodies.He does not act on the recommendation of individual persons. The input of the committee responsible for scrutinizing and recommending Early Retirement on Medical Grounds has to be taken into consideration as well. As short as to tell all the laid down rules and regulations of disengaging a civil servant from work on medical grounds have to be followed. Any other method would not be in the spirit of the Industrial Relations Act of 2,000, as amended”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
It is reported and released some documents earlier on Friday where Acting PS Naniki Mnisi and Minister Owen Nxumalo were attempting to ‘steal’ about R1million from a Government World Bank funded project.
It is alleged that, by calling for the removal of Bhekithemba Gama, Owen Nxumalo wanted Naniki Mnisi to be promoted as the Principal Secretary.
But apart from the World Bank project R1million scandal, both Naniki Mnisi and the Education Minister are allegedly involved in rampant corruption and some of the serious allegations, are subject of an investigation by this publication.
Officials within the Ministry of Education told that they were pained to see their PS being abused by the Minister as soon after the Secretary to Cabinet engaged the Education Minister inside his office, Owen Nxumalo shouted on top of his voice saying;
“Fushani lesichwala ngale-wheelchair nisiletse lana”.
The electronic evidence cannot be released to the public domain to protect our sources.
A questionnaire was sent to the Education Minister,however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
But the Minister recently addressed a press conference where he embarrassed PS Gama by speaking about his sickness publicly.
“It was the CSC that recommended a sick leave for Gama because he is sick”, said the Education Minister when addressing a press conference.
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