DCEC has nothing on Katlholo
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday July 24, 2023 06:00
Pilane revealed this yesterday as he appeared before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) where members expressed concern about unending acting positions and suspensions ending with contracts and no hearing.
The following is a litany of DCEC suspension. The then Acting President Slumber Tsogwane on June 2, 2022 suspended Katlholo. “The decision to suspend Katlholo is necessitated by the fact that in the course of his official duties, he has misconducted himself and exhibited behaviour that is incompatible with the conduct of a public officer. In this regard, established disciplinary procedures will be followed to the letter,” it says.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi fired Katlholo on May 24, 2023, barely three months before his contract expired after placing him on suspension for a year. Katlholo’s contract will officially expire in August 31, 2023. Katlholo confirmed the developments to Mmegi in a telephone interview, saying that he is now going back to his private practice.
He said he does not know what will happen to his disciplinary proceedings against him, adding that a record of any disciplinary action taken against an employee shall remain valid for a period of six months. Pilane has in response to the committee chairperson, Wynter Mmolotsi’s question as to what action was to be taken against Katlholo said: “Katlholo was called for the disciplinary hearing by a higher office being the Office of the President. They were the ones dealing with the matter and had to take action.
It is the office of the Permanent Secretary to the President that was tasked with his matter. In addition to that, his contract was terminated. These contracts have clauses, and the PSP could have decided that this person is not adding any value to the organisation and terminated their contract,” he said before Mmolotsi intercepted and asked him to speak to situations where the said individual would be victimised for investigating some people. “What about the other side? It could be terminated because one does not want to take instructions and orders that are wrong.
Lets’ not just look at the performance-based one. One might be forced to investigate some people and be suspended for refusing to do so based on their assessments. This is why I asked you if you thought the DCEC is independent. Are you free to do your job or since you are acting, you tow the line because you have not been confirmed.
Do you think it makes sense for you to be acting for over a year now?” he said. In response, Pilane said: “I will not say much about the acting issue, it is beyond me. But I can tell you that I am free to perform my duties. If I am not free, I would fail to execute my duties. It is entirely up to the employer. Even the cases I have now, there is none that scares me. I am working freely,” he said.
The embattled Katlholo has filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General, Director General of Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) Peter Magosi, spy agency spokesperson Edward Robert, DCEC lead investigating officer Jet Mafuta, and Pilane citing malicious and defamatory utterances by the above mentioned.
In his suit, filed on Tuesday this week, Katlholo who was surrounded by controversy before his suspension last year June for daring to investigate the DIS boss, Magosi, demands damages from the state for what he alleges as statements made by the defendants that were deliberately malicious and intended to injure his good name and reputation. Nata/Gweta legislator, Polson Majaga questioned about the never ending acting appointments. “There is this trend of appointment of acting positions. It is happening all over ministries. You have been acting for a long period but there is a lot of work you do. But now if you are acting, your operations might not be successful because you have to report and someone has the substantive command,” he said.
Burning issues
Meanwhile, Pilane told the committee that they are hard at work and land issues dominate their investigations. “We have a problem of increasing land corruption. We had the Tawana Land Board issue which we stood up to and continue investigating. Some administrative actions were taken and officers were punished accordingly. But we are still investigating. We also have the Mogoditshane Sub Land Board where the Land Board members and officials were taking advantage of the Compensation-in-Kind policy. We investigated and 29 officers who benefited cash and 120 residential plots as compensation from the land board.
Three prosecution dockets have been sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions,” he said. Pilane further said another headache was caused by the Kgatleng integrated farming land policy. He said in Oodi, Mochudi and Modipane some individuals took advantage of the policy which presented an opportunity for the Land Board members and officers to maladminister. He said investigations continue. On other issues, Pilane said while Carter Morupisi was found guilty of corruption, the CMB corruption matter still stands. He said they are still looking to drag Tim Marsland before the courts. Pilane also spoke of the COVID- 19 corruption cases. He said they found that during the State of Emergency, procuring entities did not perform due diligence leading to government paying excessive prices for goods.