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ICT’S JUNIOR EMPLOYEE GIVEN SENIOR POSTS

23/06/2019 00:30:00 BY PHEPHILE MOTAU

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MBABANE – She should be the country’s luckiest civil servant alive and she is surely raking in the big bucks!

Less than two years after being employed by government under the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), a junior civil servant now finds herself literally among those in charge of the entire portfolio.

While 34-year-old Lindiwe Matsebula’s substantive position is that of Assistant Human Resources Officer, she now finds herself filling big boots by alternating either as Under Secretary (US) or Principal Human Resources Officer.

Both these are senior positions and they come with an attractive salary.
At the moment, the position of under secretary is substantively occupied by Ntombifuthi Sukati while that of principal resources officer is vacant after the person occupying it was transferred to another ministry.

Matsebula is now the acting Principal Human Resources Officer and is assigned to act as the US when Sukati is not in office.
The junior employee, whose marital status reflects that she is single, is still on probation after being employed on August 21, 2017.

Government General Orders

The appointment of a civil servant to a pensionable and permanent position, according to the Government General Orders, is subject to a two-years probation period, following which an officer shall be confirmed if proved satisfactory in all respects, and has successfully completed such examinations and tests as may be demanded of her.

According to the Government Establishment Register for the 2016/2017 financial year, Matsebula’s position is 22 grades below that of US and 17 grades below that of Principal Human Resources Officer.
While her substantive position is under grade B5, with a monthly basic salary of E8 824.25, Matsebula has of late found herself punching way above her weight in terms of remuneration as she is being paid an acting allowance for holding the positions of US and Principal Human Resources Officer.

The position of under secretary for which she sometimes acts in is under grade F2 and comes with a basic salary of E41 967. 08 a month while that of principal human resources officer is under grade E3 – Notch 1 and fetches a monthly basic salary of E25 697.75.

To show that the junior officer is punching above her weight, the Government General Orders place the position of US in the category of ‘superscale class’ and is ranked fourth in terms of seniority.

Positions that rank above the US are that of the Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service (Grade 1); Chairman of the Civil Service Commission (Grade II); Principal Secretary, Director of Auditor, Commissioner of Police and Clerk to Cabinet (Grade III).

The position of US is under Grade IV and is in the same league as ambassador, high commissioner, private secretary to His Majesty, senior liaison officer, accountant general, deputy commissioner of police, labour commissioner, director Management Services Unit and general transport manager.
The Times SUNDAY can prove that for the month of June, Matsebula has been paid a gross salary of E33 597.66, which comprises an acting allowance of E24 172.41, her basic salary of E8 824.25 and a housing allowance of E601.

After deduction of E9 964.14, she took home a net pay of E23 633.52.
In February, she also took home a fat pay cheque as she got a gross monthly income of E36 153.33, which included am acting allowance of E26 728.08, her basic salary of E8 824.25 and a housing allowance of E601.

Her net pay was E24 020.40 after deductions amounting to E12 133.11.
In October 2018, she raked in a monthly gross pay of E18 059, which entailed an acting allowance of E8 634.41, basic salary of E8 824.25 and housing allowance of E601.00.

E13 219.46 after deductions
She found herself taking home E13 219.46 after deductions amounting to E4 840.20 were effected.
Government sources who spoke to this publication expressed their shock that senior civil servants within the Ministry of ICT were being overlooked for the positions of acting US and acting principal human resources officer in favour of a junior staffer.

“The Ministry of ICT has a number of directors, heads of department and other senior officers who can act in the position of under secretary instead of having this junior employee taking up the position. How do you really justify this?” said one of the sources.

The Ministry of ICT has seven departments that are headed by directors and they include Director of Information and Media Phesheya Dube, Director Communications Andreas Dlamini, Director Government Computer Services Sipho Vilakati, Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) Director Martin Dlamini, Director of National Library Services Jabulile G. Hlophe, Director of Research, Science, Technology and Innovations Dr Bethusile R. Maseko and Director of National Archives (post vacant).
The position of under secretary is under the Administration Department in the ministry and, in terms of seniority, ranks third after the minister and the principal secretary.

To show that this position is senior, it was previously occupied by Bheki Gama – the former Acting Principal Secretary who also held the position of EBIS Director. Under secretaries sometimes represent their respective ministers during interministerial meetings as well as public functions and also act in the position of principal secretary should the need arise.

CONFIRMS PROBATION
Matsebula, the junior civil servant, confirmed that she was still on probation and that this period was expected to come to an end in three weeks’ time.
She said she did not know what would happen to her position, or whether she would be promoted, once she has been confirmed as a permanent government employee.

She wondered who would be concerned about her being appointed to sometimes act in the positions of US and principal human resources officer.
“I think you are aware that we don’t appoint ourselves into these positions but there are controlling officers who are responsible for such nominations. It would be proper to contact the principal secretary in the ministry who is the controlling officer to respond how I’ve been appointed to act in these positions,” Matsebula said.

She said she could say a lot on the subject but was not allowed to talk to the media either personally or on behalf of the ministry.
“Maybe with the PS’s permission I can talk and he would have to be present for me to say anything,” she stated. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of ICT Maxwell Masuku said the reason the junior civil servant finds herself filling big boots was because of government’s decision to stop or freeze the hiring and promotion of employees.

He said this decision has left the junior staffer to be the next senior person after the US in the administration department.
Masuku said ordinarily, the person who is supposed to act in the US’s position is the principal human resources officer but there is no substantive person there.
He also said there is supposed to be a senior human resources officer but this position was also vacant, which left the assistant human resources officer as the only available employee under the Administration Department.

“When these positions are not vacant, administration is done by the US and the principal human resources officer when the us is not there then the principal human resources officer acts in the position hence the woman (Matsebula) you are talking about finds herself acting in the position,” the PS said.

PS defendedS decision

He defended the decision not to recommend any of the directors under the ministry to act in the US position by stating that it would not be a rational decision.
“When the US is not there, then why should I take someone from the other departments to come and act here? That’s not how it’s done; fortunately I know government and it’s not unique to this ministry alone.

If I was to take the director at EBIS, would that be fair to him to deal with issues he’s not familiar with yet there are officers in the Administration Department?” Masuku said.

He said it was not an abnormal situation that the junior employee sometimes acted as the US because all administrative decisions were relative to the circumstances informing the decisions that have been taken.
“It is not wrong and it is an administratively efficacious decision to make her act and for how long. It’s not for a long time and it’s because the PS can manage the period together with her.

“Were we to take a director and bring him here, we would also have to appoint someone to act in his position, usually his deputy; someone would also have to act for the deputy director and so on. So, administratively that wouldn’t make sense and that would mean the PS is clueless,” Masuku further stated.
He said the acting appointment is his recommendation and has to go to the Civil Service Commission for approval and it’s the latter that issues the authority.
Asked if it did not matter that the junior employee was still on probation, Masuku responded:

“All administrative decisions are informed by circumstances and the CSC considers the circumstances; I also had to justify the decision to the CSC and if its sound they grant it and won’t if it is not. The two positions below the US under the Administration Department are vacant so it’s her who has to act for the US and CSC approved authority and is paid through that authority.”
This publication has been informed that this has created a hostile environment within the ministry, especially the senior employees, who feel the junior staffer has been made their equal.

SHE now walks tall
The sources allege that the employee now walks tall within the ministry with no courtesy to senior employees.
But the PS sought to dismiss this and said this should not be a problem unless there were undertones and politics involved.
“It shouldn’t be an issue unless she fails to perform the duties. I don’t see what the problem would be because she is acting in her own path of profession and is not acting in the path of another profession,” he explained.

Masuku added that those who are directors would not be aggrieved because from their positions, the next stop was the position of PS.
He said the position of director was at the same level as that of US hence there would be no hard feelings.
Masuku said in any case, the junior employee; “won’t make administrative decisions but will recommend to the PS. Even with the substantive US, decisions are taken collectively at PS level;” The PS said they expected the situation to be normalised soon because they had since recommended that an officer, at the level of principal human resources, be transferred to come to the ICT Ministry to fill the position.
“We want the vacancy to be only at the lowest level but that’s work in progress,” he said.
Beginning August 1, 2018, government, through the Ministry of Public Service, issued Circular No. 3 of 2018 which implemented a freeze on all job hiring, promotions and creation of new posts within the civil service.
The Circular said this decision was in light of government’s financial challenges.
“Principal secretaries and heads of department are further informed that henceforth, the Ministry of Public Service will not consider any request from Ministries/Departments seeking approval to fill vacant posts whether through appointment or promotions,” stated the Circular.
All service commissions and designated appointing authorities were urged to heed this directive ‘and ensure that no appointments and promotions are made against any vacant posts’.