Cape Town - A complaint by the Norwegian Embassy against newly-appointed
government spokesperson
Jimmy Manyi is "neither here nor there",
Minister in the Presidency
Collins Chabane said on Thursday.
Chabane
told journalists during a post-cabinet briefing that no case had been
proffered against the axed labour department director general for
allegedly trying to solicit business from Norwegian diplomats in an
official government meeting last year.
"With regard to the issue
of the Norwegian diplomatic note from the Norwegian Embassy, obviously
if there is no case proffered against Mr Manyi ... our employment cannot
be determined by anyone else except by the rules we have in
government," Chabane said at the briefing in Pretoria.
"The case against Mr M(anyi) is neither here nor there for now."
Chabane said Manyi had been on special leave which "kicked in whilst he was acting in that case".
"Because the case is no longer valid, the special leave does not work. The special leave was related to the case itself."
Chabane
announced on Wednesday that Manyi would replace long-time government
spokesperson
Themba Maseko as the Government Communication and
Information Systems (GCIS) CEO and cabinet spokesperson.
Maseko would take up the post of director general in the public service and administration department (DPSA).
Manyi was axed by former labour minister
Membathisi Mdladlana in November last year.
This was hours before Mdladlana himself was fired by President
Jacob Zuma in a cabinet reshuffle.
Mdladlana
had suspended Manyi in June, reportedly after a diplomat complained
that he had tried to negotiate business for his company during an
official meeting.
Manyi reportedly appealed for his job back to the new Labour Minister
Mildred Oliphant after the cabinet overhaul.
Manyi
is president of the Black Management Forum (BMF), a position he has
battled to hold on to, with former leaders of the forum describing him
as unfit to hold office.
Chabane said he saw "no conflict" with Manyi's position as president of the BMF and the work he would do for the government.
"With
regard to issue of Black Management Forum, it is not an issue we
discussed. As far as I am concerned, from where I stand, there is no
conflict between work Mr Manyi will be doing at the BMF.
"Any
issue which arises along the course of the work we are going to deal
with it as it comes, but as we stand now there is no conflict at all."
Chabane said Maseko had been redeployed to be the director general of the DPSA "in terms of the rules".
"In terms of the rules, the president can redeploy DGs," he said.
"On the motivation as to why... In the public service there are always people who move from one area to (an) other.
"The
department of public service and administration has been operating with
an acting DG since the former DG left. It is important for us to
stabilise the administration."
Manyi, who was present at the briefing on Thursday, has refused to comment on "that saga".
"I'm opening a new chapter in my life. I'm excited that I have another opportunity to serve my country," he said.