Thembisa Hospital manager disciplined for abusing cellphone to support ANC

4 May 2017

I am pleased that a manager at the Tembisa Hospital has been disciplined for abusing state resources to support the ANC in the local government elections in August last year.

This follows my complaint to the Public Service Commission that Tembisa Hospital Corporate Manager Lina Mmatli posted the following ANC message on an internal management Whatsapp group on Friday 29 July 2016 during the election campaign:

The TRUTH is, the ANC fought for your right to vote! Stay FREE, vote ANC! #stayfreevoteanc

The PSC found that Ms Mmatli's conduct in forwarding a "political message" to an official communication platform which seemed to be promoting a political party to be inappropriate and in contravention of regulations and policies that prohibit public servants to act in such a manner.

The PSC recommended that the head of the Gauteng Head Department should consider corrective measures against Ms Mmatli in this regard.

In a written reply to my questions on this matter Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa says that Ms Mmatli had been charged with misconduct arising from abuse of state resources and her disciplinary hearing was finalized on 17 March this year.

She also said that there was "continuous training of employees on the code of conduct in the public service".

I commend the PSC for taking up my complaint and compelling the Department to enforce the important principle that public servants should not promote any political party in the course of their duties.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 4 May 2017