Khumomatlhare's departure smacks of a push
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Friday July 10, 2020 17:01
Khumomatlhare’s departure from the public service coincides with a time in which the government angrily cancelled a savingram he authored to councils around the country indicating that they should hire scorpion workers under the B2 and B3 salary scale respectively.
The role of the scorpions is to enforce COVID-19 protocols most notably in schools.
Following the authorship of the savingram, government also said stern action would be taken against the writer of the document. Speculations about Khumomalthare’s departure are heightened by various sources at the ministry that remain adamant that his contract was destined for renewal had it not been for the savingram that attracted a very furious response from the government.
Sources have also said that Khumomatlhare’s contract ended on June 30. He was replaced by Dr Themba Mmusi.
This week, Khumomatlhare would not be drawn into discussing allegations that he was pushed out of the ministry.
“I have no comment. I refer you to office the Permanent Secretary to the President. Thank you,” he said.
Yesterday Elias Magosi, Permanent Secretary to the President also said that he could not respond with reference to allegations that Khumomatlhare might have been pushed out.
“Issues between the employee and the employer cannot be discussed in the media. They are purely confidential,” Magosi said.
Meanwhile, on Friday last week, assistant minister at MLGRD Kgotla Autlwetse’s comments regarding the savingram authored by Khumotlhare also fuelled speculation surrounding the latter’s departure.
Autlwetse maintained that the author of savingram is going to pay a heavy price as he has misled nation. He was addressing the COVID-19 Task Team in Francistown.
After his remarks, some drew inference that the non-renewal of the contract, might be the form of punishment the assistant minister was referring to.
The government has since withdrawn the savingram and hired scorpions under Ipelegeng, a government employment relief initiative.
When asked if he was referring to Khumomatlhare (in his address) as he is the one who authored the savingram, Autlwetse said he was not at liberty to disclose names.
In addition, when asked about the kind of penalty that might be imposed against the author of the savingram, the assistant minister said that he was not in a position to disclose the nature of action to outsiders as the ministry is still trying to establish what exactly transpired.
He added during his address, “After releasing the savingram, we pleaded with the same officer to reverse the savingram and write to the council advising them not to hire scorpions under the B2 and B3 scales respectively.
The said officer did not head the advice and councils ultimately finished with the process of recruiting scorpion members through the said scales”.
Autlwetse further pleaded with deployed scorpion workers to forgive government for the mistake and confusion, which was caused by the savingram.
The opposition had warned that it will take government to court if the decision to rope scorpions under Ipelegeng was implemented.