Eastern Cape Health administration boss Dr Thobile Mbengashe who resigned to become the provincial premier's adviser has now been found to be the subject of a Public Service Commssion investigation over the legality of his R1.9m annual contract extension, reports Daily Despatch.
Officially, Mbengashe resigned as superintendent-general to take up a position as Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s adviser, but a Daily Dispatch report says he quit while the Public Service Commission (PSC) was investigating his alleged illegal contract extension in 2018 by then Premier Phumulo Masualle.
It was supposed to end in August 2023. His last day at the helm of the Health Department is on 30 September.
The PSC is forging ahead with its probe despite Mbengashe’s resignation. Public Service & Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu raised questions over the legality of Mbengashe’s extended employment contract, and the counter offer made to him by the province when he threatened to resign in 2017.
The report notes Mbengashe had been under fire from opposition parties – particularly the DA and the workers’ union, Nehawu – over the department’s poor service delivery and other challenges. Insiders told the Daily Dispatch Mbengashe had not resigned out of his own will, but had been forced out.
[link url="https://dispatch.pressreader.com/@nickname13170709/csb_eXzolxiw66ht3MPeHSFN5uBr2GYgX_mvBfc2fwt12Pu0b5zoK4Gcw8Lvs4OjKj01"]Full Daily Dispatch report[/link]
See also:
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/ec-health-d-g-resigns-quick-to-admit-failures-slow-to-fix/"]MedicalBrief archives: EC Cape Health DG resigns: Quick to admit failures, slow to fix[/link]