The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply disturbed by a media report which confirms that embattled KwaZulu-Natal Social Development Head of Department (HOD), Nokuthula Khanyile, will earn an estimated half a million rand between now and the end of March, despite not reporting for work.
This after a new HOD was appointed to the Department just days ago and after the ANC-led provincial cabinet took a decision to extend Khanyile’s contract – which expired at the end of last month – for another three months to the end of March 2020.
The DA has today, during a sitting of the KZN Legislature, called on Premier Sihle Zikalala to urgently rectify this unacceptable situation. It is a travesty that an individual is being paid to do absolutely nothing while the province struggles to find money for essentials.
This administrative bungle on the part of Premier Zikalala is a slap in the face to KZN’s taxpayers. It is also indicative of how the ANC runs this province, leaping from one crisis to another.
The debacle is also yet another example of how ANC in-fighting is impacting on service delivery in our province. There is much work to be done within KZN’s Social Development Department, yet here we have situation where the leadership is in disarray.
The DA expects Premier Zikalala to act without delay. He must put the interests of KZN’s most vulnerable citizens first and ensure that there are no further disruptions to the work of this critical Department.