Sunday Times
*Nyanda fires Mohlala but saga seems far from over* *Buddy Naidu and Simpiwe Piliso, Sunday Times, Johannesburg, 25 July 2010*Vuvuzelas blared in the corridors of the Department of Communications on Friday after the announcement that minister Siphiwe Nyanda had fired director-general Mamodupi Mohlala.
Staff celebrated and ululated after news filtered through that Mohlala had been given her marching orders and security had escorted her out of the department's offices in Hatfield, Pretoria.
The move ended a fortnight of uncertainty and speculation over Mohlala's future.
The former pension funds adjudicator and Icasa councillor was only 10 months into her job, and had been accused of cutting through the department and "paralysing" it by suspending several senior managers, and spending millions on legal fees and consultants.
Hours after the termination of her employment was announced on Friday, Mohlala said she was unaware of her dismissal.
"I have not been officially and properly informed about this matter. I have not received an official letter. But I will be investigating the lawfulness of this termination, and will be consulting my lawyers. I will be taking legal recourse," she said.
Nyanda's spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso said the department faced "a number of challenges recently relating to internal processes and procedure".
Nyanda and his deputy, Dinah Pule, had met with Mohlala last week Friday to no avail, he said.
"In the process of trying to find solutions to the challenges, it subsequently became apparent that trust between the minister and the director-general has broken down irretrievably," he said.
In the interests of the department and its staff it was decided "it would be best to release Ms Mohlala from her position".
Rikhotso said the impasse between Nyanda and Mohlala "threatened the-day-to-day operations of the department" and affected the department's image "negatively".
Relations between the two reached boiling point last week after Mohlala refused entry to a senior human resources staffer, Basani Baloyi. Mohlala had earlier suspended Baloyi, but the action was overturned after a legal challenge.
Business Day had reported that Mohlala had been on the verge of suspension and that Nyanda had stripped her of her powers after "repeated disagreements" over tenders that she refused to sign, claiming these would have benefited people close to Nyanda. Nyanda has been embroiled in tender scandals at Transnet.
The department has denied the allegations, saying that, as minister, he had no control over the department's operations, and the allegations were "false, spurious and malicious".
During her tenure Mohlala suspended six senior managers and several others resigned. She allegedly hired nine former colleagues from the pension funds adjudicator's office, allegedly not following procedure. Makhubalo Ndaba joined as chief operations officer without approval from Nyanda or the cabinet.
Mohlala further infuriated Nyanda by issuing policy directives, incurring legal expenses, hiring consultants and using "secondments" from the private sector to apparently circumvent tender procedures.
*From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/business/article567308.ece/Nyanda-fires-Mohlala-but-saga-seems-far-from-over*
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