By Simon Nare
Knives are out for Independent Development Trust CEO Tebogo Malaka as tensions between her and board chairperson Zimbini Hill continue to brew in a boardroom war that wants her out the door, according to her sympathisers in the institution.
They claim it all started when Hill was reappointed into the position she vacated when she was about to be fired by former public works and infrastructure minister Sihle Zikalala in October 2023.
An official within the institution, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Inside Politics that Hills return was allegedly orchestrated by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson, who was in her corner in the boardroom and part of the alleged campaign to get Malaka’s job.
The official alleged that Hill and the minister have made life so unbearable for Malaka that she has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa out of frustration asking that he intervenes.
The official added that Hill was reappointed despite questions around her qualifications which were said to be fraudulent, which has been denied by the chairperson.
She has dismissed them as misinformation as she had been successfully vetted by the department.
In the letter to the president, which Inside Politics has seen, Malaka alerted Ramaphosa to a defamatory media campaign allegedly orchestrated by Macpherson, which targeted IDT and its leadership and his continued disregard for governance protocol, including bypassing executive leadership and undermining institutional processes.
Further, Malaka accuses Macpherson in the letter of attempts to allegedly interfere in ongoing investigations and premature disclosure of information to the media.
Malaka refused to comment on the matter when contacted for comment.
In responding to the allegations, Hill admitted that the two did not enjoy a healthy relationship even though this was purely on a professional level.
She denied that there was any campaign to get Malaka booted so she could take over, saying she had no interest in the position.
Hill said she was aware of the letter to the president, but said as far as she was aware, Malaka had withdrawn it.
Macpherson in response to a list of questions about his alleged involvement in bringing back Hill or his participation in a plot to oust Malaka as set out in various leaked emails and text messages, said he could not comment on what he considered as fake emails.
“The Ministry will not respond to fake and fraudulent emails and WhatsApp’s you reference. Therefore, there is no ‘leak’ because they are made up,” his spokesperson James de Villiers said.
A follow-up request by Inside Politics for the minister to answer specific questions put to him was not entertained.
The minister evaded answering on his role in the reappointment of Hill and allegations of him having strong armed the trustees into nominating her as chairperson which he approved.
He could not answer whether he was aware of Hill’s alleged fraudulent qualifications as well as Malaka’s allegations contained in her letter to the president.
Hill said she came back to the institution because she was committed to the mandate that was tasked to the board that was appointed during her reign and shot down any suggestions that she had come back with the help of Macpherson.
She denied ever expressing any interest in taking over as CEO in an email to Macpherson, which Inside Politics has seen, describing it as fake.
“The alleged correspondence is fabricated. I have never authored any communication expressing interest in the CEO role. The referenced email address is not mine.
“I am not in conflict with the CEO. We continue to engage professionally and remain committed to the institution’s objectives. That said, the board has initiated a mediation process, and I have confirmed my willingness to participate in good faith,” she said.
Malaka’s sympathisers say Hill returned to the board even though it was only left with three months before a new board took over.
They believe her return is to intensify her campaign to finally get Malaka’s job.
In the letter to Ramaphosa, Malaka requests for an independent inquiry to probe the process to appoint the incoming board.
“This troubling history raises serious questions about the impartiality and legitimacy of the current appointment process and calls into question whether due governance protocols and ethical standards are being upheld in the formation of the incoming Board,” she wrote to the president.
Her sympathisers claim that her life will be more difficult if Hill returns as part of the incoming board.
“Questions have to be asked why did Hill come back to serve in a board that literally hed three months left to run? It is clear that she is earmarked to return and ultimately drive her campaign to be the CEO because that is what she wants.
“Malaka is just a victim of this Government of National Unity. She is really getting it,” said the official.
The IDT is a state-owned entity that implements and delivers critically needed social infrastructure projects for the government, including schools, clinics and hospitals.
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