Suspended PIC exec denies victimising staff, meddling in the commission

Suspended acting chief executive officer Matshepo More’s leadership has come into question through various testimonies at the commission of inquiry into the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The last straw for the PIC board was the allegation that she meddled in the business of the commission, a charge she has categorically denied.

More, former chief financial officer (CFO) of the PIC, emphasised in her testimony on Monday the context for certain decisions she had made, and dismissed allegations of impropriety and victimisation levelled against her by the commission and PIC employees as unfounded and unsubstantiated.

When the PIC board issued a statement in March regarding More’s suspension, it said that “allegations pertaining to interference with the process of the commission of inquiry were brought to the attention of the PIC board”. The board decided to place More, who was acting chief executive following Dan Matjila’s resignation in February, on suspension to allow for the free participation of employees at the commission.

More: I did not interfere

“I categorically deny that I have done anything that interfered with or has had the effect of interfering with the work of the commission,” said More.

“I had made an agreement with [chief evidence leader advocate Jannie Lubbe] from the onset that I would stay away as much as possible just to make sure that I am not perceived to be victimising or influencing the work of the commission,” she added.

More’s interference was raised on record when development manager in the PIC’s property division Alvin Schiel testified in March that there were rumours of staff members who had testified before the commission being summoned to the “seventh floor” where the CEO and CFO’s offices are located.

Schiel said staff were apparently being called to answer for their testimonies. “Whether real or not, the rumour in itself is intimidating for most.”

Read: PIC state asset manager suspends acting CEO

Some of the concerns around interference are linked to the PIC’s appointment of a legal firm to assist staff members in drafting their statements ahead of appearing before the commission.

Lubbe indicated to More that the PIC employees who had testified had reported to the commission that they did not make use of the law firm because they did not trust that their statements would not be shared with management.

Lubbe said More and the PIC’s acting head of legal Lindiwe Dlamini had merely reported to the board the concerns that employees had raised with them about the legal costs that they were incurring to appear before the commission. The firm had been called in to assist employees on a “voluntary basis” and no one had been forced to use their services.

Victimisation of staff

More also rejected the testimonies of the former staff members who claimed they were driven out of the commission partly or wholly as a result of being victimised by her.

“Almost all of them have not referred to any specific incident or event to support what, in my view, are overly broad and unsubstantiated allegations.”

She explained that her work requires her to make decisions on finances that would not be received well by everyone involved. “It is not uncommon for any person who occupies the position of a CFO in an organisation to be perceived by some sections to be victimising them,” she said.

Assistant commissioner Gill Marcus said she had very little experience of a CFO being charged with so many counts of victimisation in other organisations.

“The role of a CFO is a tough one, yes, but it does not normally result in an atmosphere or climate of victimisation that clearly has been there in the PIC,” said Marcus.

A climate survey conducted by the PIC found that staff members had perceptions of fear within the PIC where employees complained about not being able to raise concerns without being victimised.

Source: moneyweb.co.za