Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane suspended provincial education department head Naledi Mbude and has instructed her to leave behind all government equipment, and documents in her possession.

He has also barred her from entering any departmental buildings. 

This comes amid heavy criticism over the scandal-plagued department's return of an unspent R205-million infrastructure grant to the National Treasury, even though public schools are under-resourced. Several schools opened without textbooks this year.

In a suspension letter dated 5 April, Mabuyane did not give reasons for the decision.  

However, the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape said the move raised serious questions.

Eastern Cape legislature member and deputy chairperson of the party in the province, Yusuf Cassim, said the suspension of Mbude comes after she revealed several concerns about the department at a portfolio committee meeting on Monday. 

According to Cassim, Mbude said she discovered that the department had been deliberately submitting manual orders for textbooks and stationery for years, delaying payment until the next financial year due to insufficient funds in the budget. 

Doing so is a violation of the Public Finance Management Act. 

Mbude also informed the committee that the reason the infrastructure budget was underspent, was due to significant allegedly irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure that she had discovered in the infrastructure programme. 

The department is conducting a full audit of infrastructure projects, Cassim said.

Cassim said that in her response, Mbude revealed that audits for two districts had been completed and showed discrepancies between what was paid for and what was actually delivered.

Mbude told the committee that the audit was being conducted because the Auditor-General had found that the department did not have an asset register, according to Cassim.  

"The DA has submitted follow up questions to the department in relation to these revelations and, if we do not receive the promised written responses, we will pursue Public Access to Information Act (PAIA) applications to bring the truth to light," Cassim added.

He said Mbude's responses provided a glimpse into the extent of the rot inside the department.  

"The DA will continue to pursue these issues, regardless of the steps taken to prevent the seething rotten underbelly of a corrupt department from being exposed," said Cassim.

Called for comment, Mabuyane said his office would send out a statement at a later stage about the matter.

In a letter dated 30 March, Mabuyane asked Mbude to make representations, and she responded on 4 April.

In the suspension letter on Tuesday, Mabuyane said he noted the content of her representations and added that he would not respond to every averment made.

He said he was suspending her so he could verify the allegations made, and added that it was important that an investigator be given unrestrained access to all documents and staff. 

He said personnel must be free to co-operate with the investigator, without actual or perceived fear of reprisal. 

"As the premier and executing authority, it is my prerogative, and acting within the ambit of the law, to place any head of department on suspension. Suspension is not a punitive measure and I do not seek to punish you in any way," Mabuyane added.

However, he said that having considered Mbude's representations, he was not convinced that her continued presence in the department would not hinder the investigation.

"You are therefore hereby suspended on full pay as a precautionary measure, pending investigations at the Department of Education, with effect from the date of this letter." 

Setting out the conditions of the suspension, Mabuyane added: "You are required to immediately vacate your office and hand all keys to your office, equipment and documentation of the Department of Education to the Office of the MEC for Education by 10am on Wednesday, 6 April 2022.” 

He told Mbude not to enter the premises of the Department of Education, any of its district offices or her office without instructions or permission from him or an official designated by him.

"However, you are required to remain available at all times for interaction by the investigator, to be appointed by myself. The failure to respond to any other matter referred to in your letter should not be construed as an admission thereof, but you will be afforded an opportunity to ventilate these matters at an appropriate time and platform," Mabuyane said. 

Mbude could not be immediately reached for comment.