Durban — The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the “long overdue” removal of KZN Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s head of department (HOD), Ntokozo Chonco.
The DA said Chonco had received a notice of termination of his employment contract on August 26.
On September 15, 2022, KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, served him with a letter requesting that he immediately vacate his post despite seven weeks remaining until the end of his contract.
DA spokesperson Bradley Singh said hiss party was pleased to note that Chonco had finally received his marching orders.
He said the party had long raised its concerns over mismanagement and alleged fraudulent activities within the department, however, the former HOD turned a blind eye to these.
“Chonco’s dismissal also comes after former premier Sihle Zikalala failed to act despite ongoing damning information submitted by the DA, as far back as 2019, which points to KZN’s people being robbed by this individual and his cronies. The Auditor-General (AG) also has numerous findings against Chonco and his department,” said Singh.
Singh said although Chonco had now been removed, there were still many criminal investigations opened by the DA against him.
“At this stage, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is probing the allegations, which also extend to other senior departmental officials. Chonco’s removal bodes well for the future operational functionality of this department. The DA will, however, continue to keep a close watch on his replacement to ensure that there is not a repetition of such incidents,” he said.
The DA remains committed to working tirelessly to ensure that corruption and fraud are rooted out from KZN’s Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, said Singh.
Daily News