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The Congress of South African Trade Unions warmly welcomes today’s announcement by President Jacob Zuma that he is sacking Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Sicelo Shiceka, and Public Works Minister, Gwen Mahlangu-Mkabinde, and suspending Police Chief Bheki Cele.

The Public protector has found both ministers guilty of serious offences. Sicelo Shiceka deliberately misled the President over the purpose of a trip to Switzerland to visit his girlfriend in prison, which he undertook at public expense and under false pretences. She found that his actions were “unlawful and constituted maladministration, dishonesty in respect of public money, and improper conduct”.
The Public Protector reached similar conclusions on the numerous allegations of repeatedly staying at expensive hotels, and in one case says that his conduct constituted “fraudulent misrepresentation” and “dishonesty”.

Bheki Cele was found guilty of ‘maladministration’ in a lease deal which would have cost the taxpayers three times the market rate for a new police headquarters in Durban.

Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde approved a deal for a similar lease for a new police headquarters in Pretoria and failed to cooperate with the Public Protector’s investigation.

COSATU congratulates the President on his firm action and hopes that this announcement marks a turning point in the fight against maladministration and corruption. From now on there must be a policy of zero-tolerance to the looting of public resources by anyone, in the public or private sector, no matter how senior their position.

The federation also congratulates Thulas Nxesi, Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, and former General Secretary of SADTU, on his appointment as minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Communications Minister Roy Padayachee who is the new Minister of Public Service and Administration, and wishes them well in their new roles.