Turmoil in Master's Office addressed
The rot at the Master's Office – the custodian of liquidations and the administration of the Guardian's Fund, among other things – is ‘worse than anyone thought’.
That’s according to Advocate Doctor Mashabane, the DG of the Department of Justice who told News24 he was shocked to see how external parties were trying to get suspended officials off the hook.
He said he had personally received emails from liquidators who referred to the suspended officials as their ‘comrades’, and demanded that they be reinstated.
‘That's the biggest headache, where you have serious syndicates and organised crime issues. And that's a matter we are referring to law enforcement,’ he said, adding that a report by the Special Investigating Unit now needed to be followed up by the Hawks.
‘Why would people from outside fight to defend officials? The departmental officials are public servants. They are bound by the disciplinary code when they take up their job. When we discipline them, we get intimidation from outside,’ he said.
Mashabane is himself under fire from the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, after allegations of sexual harassment and nepotism were levelled against him.
In April, 13 senior managers and other officials from the Master's Office were placed on precautionary suspension, pending an investigation into financial irregularities and maladministration in the affairs of the Master of the High Court and Family Law Services.
News24 notes that the SIU investigation included the presence of ghost employees at Master's Offices; the appointment of service providers; and the abuse of travel, subsistence and accommodation costs for officials required to travel for work.
It also probed allegations of irregular staff appointments and irregular procurement.
In May, City Press reported that the SIU report, which was submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa, but had not been publicly released, found that some Master's Office officials were accepting bribes of as little as R1 500 from people to have properties that did not belong to them registered under their names.
The report also stated that Master's Office officials interfered in the appointment of liquidators, and in the appointment of executors of deceased estates.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
