Sicelo Shiceka

Sicelo Shiceka[1] (8 June 1966 – 30 April 2012) was a South African politician.[2]

Sicelo Shiceka
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
In office
11 May 2009 – 30 April 2012
Preceded byNew post
Succeeded byRichard Baloyi
Minister of Provincial and Local Government
In office
25 September 2008 – 10 May 2009
Preceded bySydney Mufamadi
Succeeded byPost renamed
Personal details
Born(1966-06-08)8 June 1966
Died30 April 2012(2012-04-30) (aged 45)
Nationality South African
Political partyANC

A member of the African National Congress, Shiceka was a member of the National Assembly and was chosen by President Jacob Zuma as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in May 2009. From 2008-09, Shiceka was the Minister of Provincial and Local Government under interim President Kgalema Motlanthe.[3]

Shiceka was, until his death, on sick leave (since 24 February 2011), and his duties as Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs were being performed by the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, in an acting capacity.[4] Shiceka died from complications relating to a long illness.[5]

Biography

Previous posts Shiceka held included Leader of the Azanian Students Organisation (1987), Provincial Secretary of the SACP (1991), Provincial Secretary of COSATU (1992) and Member of the Gauteng Provincial Executive Council of the ANC (1996).[3] He was also a director of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee.[3]

Shiceka earned an M.A. in political economy from the University of the Free State, and diplomas[1] in labour relations from the University of the Witwatersrand and in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.[3]

Shiceka died on 30 April 2012, after "a long illness". No cause of death was given. He was 45.

Controversy

In March 2011, accusations were leveled at Shiceka for allegedly abusing taxpayer money by using public funds to pay for luxury hotel stays, limousine services and first-class air travel tickets while flying for personal reasons.[6] These allegations in turn led to widespread calls from opposition parties for his dismissal,[7] to which Parliament's Ethics Committee responded by calling on the Public Protector to investigate the allegations[8] – the first time MPs from the ANC called officially for a Cabinet Minister to be investigated for corruption since the party came to power in 1994. Following the publication of the report by the Public Protector[9] confirming Shiceka had violated the Constitution and Executive Ethics Act, he was fired from the cabinet by President Jacob Zuma. The Department of Co-operative Governance is now attempting to recover over R800 000 he spent illegally. Additional allegations surfaced regarding an improper relationship between Shiceka and the chief financial officer of the bankrupt Madibeng Local Municipality, Nana Masithela.[10][11]

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References
  1. Sicelo Shiceka Archived 2011-01-06 at the Wayback Machine South African Government Information Site
  2. "Sicelo Shiceka dies". Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  3. Sicelo Shiceka Who's Who South Africa
  4. "Mthethwa acting for Shiceka". News24. SAPA. 2011-03-07. Retrieved 17 April 2011. All ministry and department functions normally carried out by Shiceka would continue under Mthethwa's interim leadership, with the full support of Deputy Minister Yunus Carrim.
  5. "Shiceka died after long illness ANC". News24. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  6. "Report: Shiceka spends on hotels, flights, jailed lover". News24. SAPA. 2011-04-09. Retrieved 17 April 2011. Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka spent hundreds of thousands of rands of taxpayers’ money on luxury hotels, first class air tickets and on visiting a jailed girlfriend in Switzerland since taking up his Cabinet post in 2008, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.
  7. "Wasteful spending - 'Sack ministers'". News24. SAPA. 2011-04-11. Retrieved 17 April 2011. The African Christian Democratic Party on Monday urged President Jacob Zuma to investigate wasteful spending by Cabinet ministers and sack them.
  8. Steenkamp, Lizel (2011-04-14). "Minister's ethics probe - first since '94". Beeld. Media24. Retrieved 17 April 2011. In a first since the ANC came to power in 1994, the public protector has been asked by the party’s MPs to investigate a Cabinet minister over alleged abuse of funds.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-12-22. Retrieved 2011-12-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Rampedi, Piet; Jacques Pauw (2011-04-17). "Minister in sex and lies scandal". City Press. Media24. Retrieved 17 April 2011. Top officials tell how Masithela threatened anybody in Madibeng – based in Brits and with a yearly budget of R1 billion – who dared to oppose her, saying that Shiceka was “protecting” her and she was untouchable because he had deployed her to the municipality.
  11. The Shiceka Syndrome and the Corrupting Power of the Status Trap by Saliem Fakir, South African Civil Society Information Service, 18 April 2011.
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