11 Feb 2018

In the public interest this office finds it necessary to dismiss a front page story appearing in the latest (9/2/18) edition of the Mmegi newspaper with the headline allegation “Masisi’s rule under threat...” 

In this respect we note with dismay the said article’s wild and completely unfounded suggestion that His Honour the Vice President’s influence in the public service is being sabotaged through the appointment of some senior public servants. 

To set the record straight it should be noted that notwithstanding his authority under the Public Service Act to appoint senior civil servants the Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Mr. Carter Morupisi , has in the case of all recent appointments only acted after consultation with His Honour the Vice President, as well as His Excellency the President. 

It may be also noted that the PSP has been and remains mindful of the pending transition in Executive Leadership when making such appointments, promotions and transfers of senior public servants. In this context, we wish to confirm that at this time only the most critical appointments are thus being made.

Still further to the above, we wish to also confirm that in light of the pending transition all Permanent Secretaries have also been informed that while filling critical vacancies they should also exercise restraint in making high level appointments, which should in each case be made in consultation with their respective Ministers. 

Given the above, we sadly suspect that the Mmegi article’s fact free allegations of sabotage to simply be an outrageous and unwarranted attempt to sow seeds of uncertainty and confusion on the barren ground of reckless imagination. BGCIS