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JUSTICE PS FIRED

25/08/2015 06:38:00 BY SIBONGILE SUKATI

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Mamba arrives in court with ACC’s Sipho Mthethwa. (File pic)

MBABANE – The arrest of Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Thembinkhosi Mamba has cost him his job as he has been relieved of his duties.

This was confirmed by Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini in a telephone interview yesterday.
Mamba had been on the brink of signing a two-year contract extension after he had reached the mandatory government retirement age of 60 last month.

It had been announced earlier, to be precise on August 3, that his contract had been extended for two years, which Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Edgar Hillary applauded.

“The intention was to give him a two-year contract but following the recent unfortunate events we have been forced to reconsider and there will be no contract signed or finalised,” said Dlamini. The PS was arrested by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) last Monday with two women, Zanele Dlamini, a businesswoman and the ministry’s Senior Accountant Tivelele Shongwe for alleged corruption and violating the Procurement Act after the awarding of a tender valued at over E1 million to a company allegedly directed by Zanele.

The PM acknowledged that they had recommended Mamba’s name to the appointing authority but before this could be formalised, the PS was arrested and they have to let him go and retire as he had already reached the retirement age.
The premier acknowledged that Mamba had not as yet finalised the contract signing but stated that he was indeed going to the office before all this happened.

Section 76 of the Constitution states that the King shall appoint principal secretaries on a renewable five-year contract on the advice of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). In the meantime, the acting Principal Secretary in the ministry will be the Under Secretary, Siboniso Masilela.
While it was known that Mamba had retired, he made an appearance with the new Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hillary during the debate of the ministry’s first quarter performance report on August 4, 2015.