<\/p>\n
Road Accident (RAF) acting CEO Phathutshedzo Lukhwareni has stood his ground after he took his time to apply his mind before suspending a fellow executive on a recent instruction by the board of directors.<\/p>\n
Lukhwareni said if his conduct was considered to be insubordination, he was ready to face disciplinary charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was never going to be a rubber stamp to that decision. I decided to apply my mind until I received the file and did my own assessment with human resources. If that assertion is considered insubordination, I am prepared to face that charge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Lukhwareni made the comment at a meeting of the Transport Portfolio Committee on Wednesday night when he was quizzed about the delay in placing acting chief investment officer Sefotle Modiba on precautionary suspension in connection with his appointment at the entity.<\/p>\n
Modiba\u2019s suspension was announced by deputy board chairperson Nomonde Mabuya-Moloele at a meeting with the Portfolio Committee earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Mabuya-Moloele had told the Portfolio Committee that Modiba was placed on precautionary suspension with full pay and benefits with immediate effect in connection with his past employment at the City of Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
The issue of Modiba was brought up in the meeting when MPs wanted to know if he had been vetted after joining RAF from the City of Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
Lukhwareni stated that background checks had been done and a reference check was also done with his former employer.<\/p>\n
\u201cVetting is a comprehensive process and we submitted our forms to the State Security Agency and they are being processed at this point in time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But, Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa asked him to update the committee on his status at RAF after a letter was received from the City of Johannesburg indicating that Modiba resigned on the eve of the conclusion of a disciplinary process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand why you want to skirt around that matter. I hope this gives a glimpse of what we are dealing with,\u201d Hlengwa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t speak about vetting in your response and don\u2019t add the latest developments unless the board did something different,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In response, Lukhwareni confirmed that Modiba has been placed on suspension on Tuesday as per the resolution of the board.<\/p>\n
Lukhwareni was criticised by committee chairperson Donald Selamolela for being secretive with Parliament.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not here to play. It is after 9pm and listening to you bluffing when you know the context and still want to hide other things. I plead with you, please answer so that we don\u2019t have follow up questions,\u201d said Selamolela.<\/p>\n
Lukhwareni apologised, but Selamolela warned \u201cyou are exhausting your daily limit of apologies\u201d.<\/p>\n
In explaining the matter further, Lukhwareni said the instruction to suspend Modiba was sent to him a day after the board took the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the acting CEO I have the responsibility to consider what the board communicated in arriving in that decision. I was warned about possible delays. When the announcement was made to the Portfolio Committee on Transport, the acting CIO was sitting with us in the boardroom. It can\u2019t be correct that you must just sign the letter and when (you do not sign it), it becomes a problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Lukhwareni also said he had signed the suspension after he indicated to the board that he could not sign without applying his mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI eventually signed the suspension of the CIO,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Road Accident (RAF) acting CEO Phathutshedzo Lukhwareni has stood his ground after he took his time to apply his mind before suspending a fellow executive on a recent instruction by the board of directors. Lukhwareni said if his conduct was considered to be insubordination, he was ready to face disciplinary charges. \u201cI was never going […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[185,7921,311,10648,1427,11468,4779,4437],"class_list":["post-243072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-acting","tag-ceo","tag-defends","tag-delaying","tag-official","tag-raf","tag-senior","tag-suspending"],"yoast_head":"\n