On Tuesday OFM News reported on a leaked June 2020 document that was submitted to the Centlec board - of which Dudu Myeni is the deputy chair – which outlines a five-year-long investigation and labour court spat between five officials in the Human Resources (HR) Department and the power utility over alleged irregular promotions. Sources on the ground allege the litigation costs run into the millions when factoring in a settlement agreement made with the most senior of the accused officials. None of this is yet to be confirmed, with Centlec spokesperson, Lele Mamatu, only stating they “are not at liberty to disclose the settlement amount as this was a negotiated matter and both parties have signed confidentiality agreements” to that effect.

According to the leaked documents, the investigation into alleged irregular promotions of four employees and the appointment of a cashier was launched by the utility’s former Human Resource Executive Manager, Stella Molefe, in 2015. The Mangaung Metro’s rapid progression policy lies at the centre of the promotion’s debacle. It is alleged that a fraudulent version of the policy was used to motivate the promotions.  According to the report, only two of the five officials embroiled in the matter were charged and faced disciplinary proceedings thus far. One of them – an HR Manager – was accused of being complicit in the irregular appointments by not bringing the tampered version of the progression policy to the attention of her seniors in Corporate Services. She is reported to have challenged the process in the Labour court. It is here that she reached the above-mentioned settlement agreement with Centlec.

Amongst the group, a third employee was accused of nepotism when his fiancé was hired as a cashier – while the vacancy was only advertised internally. The couple – according to the report – got married mere days after the cashier began working at the power utility. Mamatu did not confirm rumours on the ground that more employees with findings against them are now being charged internally, only telling OFM News the matter is still before the courts.

While all five officials at the heart of the scandal continue to work at the utility, the woman who initiated the investigation, Molefe, is no longer a Centlec employee. Mamatu has stated that her contract ended on 30 June 2020, just two weeks after she submitted the report.

In October 2018, Centlec employees downed tools demanding that there be an improvement in working conditions, an end to nepotism and tender fraud, as well as the permanent employment of workers currently in acting positions. The workers further called for the removal of the utility’s Chief Executive Officer, Andries Mgoqi, on allegations that he had run the entity into a state of disarray and ignored their concerns. In the memorandum of demands received by the then Deputy Mayor now acting Mangaung Metro Mayor, Lebohang Masoetsa, the workers demanded that their grievances be addressed, as a matter of urgency.

OFM News