Construction Education and Training Authority CEO accused of procurement interference and unlawful instructions

The allegations are contained in a complaint to the Ceta board as well as a resignation letter by one of the executives who claimed she could no longer cope with working at the entity, which has seen at least five CFOs leave before their terms expired. Former CFO Honey Shangase wrote in her resignation dated 20 February that she could no longer work for the agency because “I base all my management decisions, values, and morals on specific principles such as fairness, equality, honesty, respect, and accountability. Unfortunately, there are instructions that you (Shezi) give me that I cannot execute as they are not aligned with my principles stated above.” Supply chain manager Tumiso Mphuthi warned Shezi about his interference with the procurement processes, however the CEO allegedly started instead to gather information that he could use to get rid of her. “When he could not find anything, he resuscitated a misconduct case in which Mphuthi and others were found to have not followed the due processes during which they were reinstated,” a source said. In a complaint to the board chairperson on 21 June, Mphuthi complained about the lengthy suspension she had been subjected to for more than a year. Ceta’s Mabo Thobela that after Shangase’s abrupt resignation the Ceta board had twice invited her to address it on her allegations and, through an independent process, to substantiate and demonstrate the allegations that she had levelled against the CEO. On both occasions, Shangase had been unable or unwilling to avail herself of these processes. Thobela indicated that Mphuthi was also currently engaged in and undergoing a disciplinary process, facing charges of gross financial misconduct and supply chain irregularities where she has an opportunity to state her case and clear herself.