The Democratic Alliance says communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda must explain to parliament why he sacked his director-general Mamodupi Mohlala.

DA shadow deputy minister of communications Lindiwe Mazibuko says the agreement reached between Mohlala and Nyanda yesterday suggests the latter’s decision to fire the former was a mistake.

“He greatly exceeded his authority as a cabinet minister and his decision has all the hallmarks of his authoritarian and autocratic brand of leadership,” says Mazibuko.

The DA will request that the minister appear before parliament’s portfolio committee on communications to explain to why he acted in a way that was “not only frivolous and outside his remit, but also contravened good governance principles”.

Mazibuko says the DA is also interested how much money Nyanda’s actions have cost taxpayers.

Nyanda and Mohlala reached a settlement on Thursday that reinstates Mohlala to her position. However, she has agreed to take a month’s special leave to allow public service & administration minister Richard Baloyi to find her an alternative placement in government.

According to the settlement, the state will pay Mohlala’s legal costs, which are likely to be considerable.

“There are bound to be tensions between senior civil servants and their political heads, and the pressure that directors-general often face to maintain their independence must be considerable,” says Mazibuko.

She says Nyanda misunderstood the authority of his position when he fired Mohlala and he must explain to the portfolio committee why he acted the way he did. — Staff reporter, TechCentral