Africa-Press – South-Africa. Public Protector employees had to address suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane as “madam” and bow down to her, as more testimony about a culture of fear during Mkwhebane’s reign was heard by the Section 194 Committee.
Former Public Protector chief operating officer Basani Baloyi testified to the committee – which has to determine whether Mkhwebane is fit for office – on Monday.
“The PP’s leadership style was authoritarian. She must be addressed as ‘madam’. She must be bowed down to, quite literally,” reads Baloyi’s affidavit to the committee. She added that staff also had to stand up when Mkhwebane entered a room.
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Baloyi perceived this as an exercise of power and found it most unusual.
“Her style of leadership was characterised by inflexibility, irrationality and a failure or refusal to treat her staff with dignity and respect. She fostered a culture of mistrust and insecurity within the organisation,” continued the affidavit.
“In this regard, I recall a WhatsApp text message which the PP sent to me, warning me not to trust Ms Ponatshego Mogaladi, one of the executives who reported to me. Based on my own experience of Ms Mogaladi, I had no reason not to trust her.”
Baloyi also recalled an instance when her 8-year-old daughter was sick and had to be hospitalised.
“Whilst I was in the hospital with my daughter the PP called me enquiring when some reports would be ready. I sent a message to her informing her that I was in the hospital with my daughter. I told her of the diagnosis and even sent her photographs of her on her hospital bed as proof.
“She replied to me, via WhatsApp text, saying: ‘Will be taking action against CEO for your failure to meet deadline. We need to lead by example and be accountable. If you submitted all these on time such emergency would not portray one as insensitive.’ Because I had to continue working to meet deadlines whilst my daughter was in the hospital, I had to take files with me to the hospital to attend to whilst visiting my daughter.”
According to Baloyi, investigators would cry when they were moved to investigations they had no previous experience with.
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Furthermore, Mkhwebane put “relentless” pressure on Baloyi to take disciplinary steps against staff.
“On many occasions I would refuse to take such steps against staff members who reported to me after the PP had instructed me to do so, in circumstances where they had furnished me with reasonable explanations for their failure to perform the tasks at issue.”
Baloyi believed she was purged from the Office of the Public Protector. Two months after her probation period ended, she was furnished with a letter from former CEO Vussy Mahlangu to provide reasons why she should be employed permanently.
In the letter, Mahlangu said there were weekly meetings between Baloyi and Mkhwebane to assess her performance, as well as impromptu meetings with Mahlangu.
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“It’s a lie,” said Baloyi.
According to Baloyi, her work and conduct were not appraised during her probationary period.
She was eventually let go, and took the matter to court. Since Mkhwebane’s suspension, the Office of the Public Protector offered her a settlement.
Baloyi’s testimony comes against the backdrop of the Section 194 Committee having heard testimony that the ample issuance of audit letters permeated a culture of fear at the Office of the Public Protector, that there was an “exodus” of staff, a heavy workload and that Mkhwebane did not want to work with a colleague who addressed her as “Busisiwe”.
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