KwaZulu-Natal officials in R22m Covid blanket scandal back at work

The decision, amid ongoing disciplinary processes, allegedly follows concerns that they ‘were getting paid for sitting at home’

KwaZulu-Natal social development officials who were suspended after being implicated in the 2020 irregular procurement of blankets to the tune of R22 million, have been allowed to return to work.

Among other things, the officials have been accused of procuring 48 000 blankets at inflated prices, with some suppliers paid in advance in contravention of treasury’s procurement guidelines.

Despite disciplinary processes being under way, sources said the decision to bring the officials back to work came because they “were getting paid for sitting at home”.

“They have been on suspension for almost three years and there is no indication that their disciplinary processes would be concluded any time soon. It was felt that they should continue working while the disciplinary processes against them were continuing,” a source in the department said.

The officials, who include chief directors, were charged after a forensic investigation instituted by the treasury. 

At the time of the procurement of the blankets, the department claimed that the items were part of the department’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

But an investigation by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) found that despite the department having used emergency procurement procedures when buying the blankets, 43 000 of the 48 000 blankets had not been distributed more than a year after they were bought.

The SIU, which has since recovered millions of the R22 million from companies that supplied the blankets, recommended that some officials should face criminal charges. But the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) declined to prosecute the officials.

Briefing the KwaZulu-Natal portfolio committee on social development during a recent committee meeting, the head of provincial social development department, Nelisiwe Vilakazi, blamed delays in the conclusion of internal disciplinary processes on what she described as Stalingrad tactics employed by the implicated officials.

The suspended officials have received letters informing them to report for work “at the beginning of April”, according to sources in the department.

The officials won’t be working in the units they were in before they were charged.

Provincial social development spokesperson Mhlaba Memela said the department would first have to confirm with the disciplinary committee chairperson before commenting on the matter.

The return of the officials to work comes a week after the Public Service Commission (PSC) lambasted government departments for failing to ensure that disciplinary processes were concluded on time. In its report released on Thursday, the PSC warned against ineffective and flawed disciplinary processes, saying they were costly to the government.“Disciplinary procedures which are not managed effectively and consistently can pose a threat to service delivery. Therefore, it is imperative that the disciplinary process should be applied swiftly, fairly and consistently,” said the PSC report. – The Witness