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The Crooked Comrades Monitor


The 'Crooked Comrades Monitor' is an archive of those people appointed to key positions in the public service in spite of a dubious track record which suggests them unfit for public office and, often, at very large salaries. In most cases the evidence would suggest they were appointed as a reward for their political support for a particular faction or agenda in the ruling party; at the very least, as a result of an inability to act against the corrupt or set the appropriate precedent.

The Monitor

NAME

POSITION

ANNUAL SALARY*

TRACK RECORD

 

 

 

 

Bhengu, Ruth

ANC Member of Parliament. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport.

R948 273.00 as an MP and Committee Chair.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud (R43 000) Fined R45 000 or two years’ imprisonment, and
given a three-year suspended sentence.

Booi, Mnyamezeli

ANC Member of Parliament; Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans.

R948 273.00 as an MP and Committee Chair.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud. Fined R50 000, or five years' jail, and given until January 2014 to pay the money in monthly instalments of R1000.

Dlamini, Bathabile

ANC Member of Parliament; Deputy Minister of Social Development.

R1 327 560.00 as a Deputy Minister and MP.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one count of fraud (R254 000 service benefits/mileage claims) and was sentenced to a fine of R120 000.00 or 5 years imprisonment and a further 5 years imprisonment suspended conditionally for 5 years

Dlulane, Beauty

ANC Member of Parliament; Member of the SADC parliamentary forum.

R714 618.00 as a MP.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one count of fraud (R289 000 service benefits/mileage claims) and was sentenced to a fine of R120 000.00 or 5 years imprisonment and a further 5 years imprisonment suspended conditionally for 5 years

Duarte, Jessie

Chief Operating Officer: The Presidency.

Between R557 133.00 and R905 538.00 as a member of the Senior Management Service and depending on whether level 14 or 15.*** The DA has asked questions to determine her salary.

Resigned due to Maladministration: Forced to quit as Gauteng’s minister for safety and security after a commission of inquiry found there was a “strong suspicion” she had covered up a car accident while driving without a licence. (See Mail & Guardian; 17 January 2008)

The Commission found that:

  • Duarte had driven her official state vehicle without a valid drivers licence and that there was a ‘strong suspicion’ she and other department officials had covered up an accident she had while driving this vehicle;
  • Gross mismanagement and maladministration had overrun her provincial department.
  • Duarte had abused state funds by buying oversees air tickets for a friend who accompanied her on an official visit to Portugal; and
  • Duarte had grossly overpaid an unqualified administrative assistant.

Duma, Ndleleni

ANC Member of Parliament.

R714 618.00 as a MP.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one count of theft (R51 000 service benefits) and was sentenced to a fine of R30 000.00 or 3 years imprisonment and a further 5 years imprisonment suspended conditionally for 5 years.

Gigaba, Malusi

ANC Member of Parliament; Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.

R1 327 560.00 as a Deputy Minister and MP.*

Misused Public Funds: Exposed in 2007 (while also Deputy Minister for Home Affairs) for running a “leadership academy” from his office and buying expensive flowers for his wife with state money. Repaid the flowers money. (See Mail & Guardian; 17 January 2008)

Kannemeyer, Bruce

Municipal Manager: OR Tambo District Municipality

Approx. R895 000.00.

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one count of theft (R70 000 service benefits) and was sentenced to a fine of R40 000.00 or 3 years imprisonment and a further 5 years imprisonment suspended conditionally for 5 years.

Madikizela-Mandela, Winnie

ANC Member of Parliament.

R714 618.00 as a MP.*

Convicted of Kidnapping and Fraud: Charged in 1991 with the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old Stompie Seipei. Convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. The sentence was reduced to a fine of R15 000 on appeal. In 2001 she was charged with obtaining loans for non-existent ANC Women’s League employees. Found guilty on 43 counts of fraud and 25 of theft. Sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. The theft charges were overturned on appeal and her sentence reduced by 18 months and suspended for five years. (See Mail & Guardian; 17 January 2008)

Maloyi, Patrick

Speaker in the North West Provincial Legislature.

R1 327 560 as Speaker.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one count of fraud (R150 000 service benefits/mileage claims) and was sentenced to a fine of R60 000.00 or 5 years imprisonment and a further 5 years imprisonment suspended conditionally for 5 years.

Molebatsi, Angie

ANC Member of Parliament.

R714 618.00 as a MP.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud. Fined R25 000, or three years in jail, plus an additional five years suspended

Mona, Vusi

Acting Head of Communications: The Presidency.

Between R557 133.00 and R905 538.00 as a member of the Senior Management Service and depending on whether level 14 or 15.*** The DA has asked questions to determine his salary.

Conflict of Interest: As City Press editor:

  • He was found to have direct  interests in a public relations company Rainbow Kwanda Communications that was paid millions by the Mpumalanga government to rectify its scandal-ridden reputation at the time.
  • Mona published a story handed to him by former Sunday Times journalist Ranjeni Munusamy (after being rejected by then Sunday Times editor Mathata Tsedu) alleging that former public prosecutions director Bulelani Ngcuka was an apartheid spy. This led to the Hefer Commission of Inquiry of 2003 where Judge Hefer found the allegations against Ngcuka to have no factual basis and stated that, with regard to Vusi Mona, “The result was that, when the cross-examination ended, his credibility had been reduced to nil.” and “I am satisfied that he has discredited himself to such a degree in the newspaper community, that he will not find it easy to procure employment in that field again.
  • Mona eventually resigned as editor of the City Press due to his public relations links.
  • Recent reports have alleged that Mona has been involved in a bribery scheme where his company Rainbow Kwanda Communications paid a substantial amount of money to provincial officials in order to secure a R32 million public relations tender from the Mpumalanga Government during 2003.

Ngobeni, Paul

Legal Advisor to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.

Between R615 633.00 and R1 355 756.00 as Special Advisor, depending on compensation level.** The DA has submitted a question to determine his salary.

Fugitive from Justice: Suspended from the roll and may never practice law again after being found guilty of seven counts of misconduct in Connecticut in the United States, where he is wanted by the law.

Sosibo, Jabu

ANC Member of Parliament; ANC whip for the Committees on the Auditor General, Constitutional Review, Ethics and Private Members’ Legislative Proposals and Special Petitions.

R791 985.00 as an MP and Whip.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud (R241 000). Fined R100 000 or five years jail, suspended for five years.

Thompson, Barbara

ANC Member of Parliament; Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, Children and People with Disability.

R948 273.00 as an MP and Committee Chair.*

Travelgate MP: Pleaded guilty to one count of fraud (R170 000 service benefits/mileage claims) and was sentenced to a fine of R90 000.00 or 5 years imprisonment and a further 5 years imprisonment suspended conditionally for 5 years.

Tshabala-Msimang, Manto

ANC Member of Parliament.

R714 618.00 as a MP.*

Convicted of Theft: In 1976 Tshabala-Msimang was dismissed from Botswana’s Athlone Hospital, at Lobaste, near Gaborone, after she was convicted of stealing a watch from a patient. She served as superintendent of the hospital. She was expelled from the country and declared a prohibited immigrant. The former deputy head of personnel for the Botswana Central Civil Service, confirmed that in 1976 a psychiatrist wrote to him pleading for clemency for Tshabalala-Msimang, arguing she was a kleptomaniac being treated by him.

 

 

 

 

TOTAL ANNUAL COST

 

App. R13 817 473

TOTAL COST OVER FIVE YEARS

 

App. R69 087 365

 

 

 

 

* Based on the revised remuneration levels, as proposed by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers 2008/09, and accepted by Parliament.

** Based on the revised compensation levels for full time Special Advisors. See PDSA circular 13 February 2009, annexure A (http://www.dpsa.gov.za/documents/rp/2009/Ann_A_13_02_2009.pdf)

*** Based on Annexure C to DPSA Circular 1 of 2009. See here  http://www.dpsa.gov.za/documents/rp/2009/1_18_4_23_01_2009_Annex%20C.pdf