On Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize wriggled her way out of media questions about the sudden suspension of her director-general‚ Mkuseli Apleni, on Monday. Mkhize‚ who paid a surprise visit to the Pinetown home affairs office‚ said she would not give reasons on Apleni’s precautionary suspension — but she justified her terse statement on Monday. "There are stages in dealing with an inquiry. The first stage is the most important one where the matter is internal; it is closed to allow [for the] employer and employee relationship to be handled with sensitivity. So that’s the only reason I can give why we are so limited in terms of information. We are limited by the prescripts of public service that bind us‚" she said.

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.