Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille has suspended the Department’s Director-General Sam Vukela with immediate effect.
Vukela has been investigated by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Public Service Commission following various allegations of irregularities.
The department says one of the alleged irregularities in the PwC report related to the provision of moveable infrastructure for official funerals.
It says a report by the Public Service Commission also investigated allegations of irregular appointments within the Senior Management Service of the Department.
De Lille has confirmed the suspension.
“I placed the Director-General of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure Advocate Sam Vukela on precautionary suspension, effective as from today, pending the finalisation of the disciplinary process instituted against the DG. This action follows a minute I received from President Ramaphosa on the 17th of March to initiate disciplinary processes against the Director-General Advocate Sam Vukela. An internal disciplinary process that will be chaired by a senior advocate will be convened in due course. In order to protect the integrity of the process, no further comment will be made to the media until the process has concluded.”
My statement on the precautionary suspension of the DG, Advocate Sam Vukela: pic.twitter.com/K4GXZ62cYV
— Patricia de Lille (@PatriciaDeLille) July 29, 2020
