Johannesburg – The Nelson Mandela Foundation on Wednesday announced that it has fired CEO Sello Hatang.
The foundation said the Board has concluded its investigation into complaints from some employees about Hatang.
“The complaints – which centred on Mr. Hatang’s personal conduct at the workplace –were received shortly after Mr. Hatang announced on 2 May 2023 that he was resigning as CEO,” the foundation revealed.
“As Mr. Hatang was still serving his notice, he was placed on special leave while the complaints were independently investigated.
“The investigation took careful consideration of the rights of the complainants and Mr. Hatang, as well as the Board’s commitment to entrenching the Foundation’s core values of respect and trust.”
The foundation said after considering the outcomes of the independent investigation, and ensuring that the process had been conducted fairly and without prejudice, “the Board concluded that Mr Hatang’s conduct had been unbecoming and was unacceptable for someone in his position and that he should be summarily dismissed”.
The foundation added: “The Board will not comment further on the specifics of the matter, save to say that it has caused much distress to the Foundation, its employees and its broader community of stakeholders.
“The focus now is on ensuring continuity in the Foundation’s activities, particularly in the approach to Madiba’s birthday commemorations (Mandela Day) on the 18th of July, and on fulfilling the Foundation’s mandate of promoting Madiba’s vision of freedom and equality for all.”
The Foundation’s board Chairman, Professor Njabulo S. Ndebele, said the process of appointing a new CEO will begin soon. “Alongside this, the trustees are working closely with the interim management of the Foundation to ensure a process of rebuilding staff morale after this extremely difficult episode.”
It was not the first time Hatang had crossed swords with his employer. In 2021, Hatang was accused of flouting procurement policies and processes, improper use of the organisation’s resources, bullying and intimidation, and abuse of donor relations.
However, at the time, an independent investigation found that there was no objective evidence to support the allegations and Hatang got to keep his job.
