President Jacob Zuma’s "most qualified" minister, Desmond van Rooyen, allegedly obtained assistance from Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) staff with his academic work.
The allegation was made by a former PBO staff member in a submission to former public protector Thuli Madonsela during her investigation of state capture.
The allegation is also part of evidence at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), where the staff member has lodged a claim against his employer, alleging he was overlooked for promotion after he refused to do academic work for MPs.
In the letter, seen by Business Day, it is alleged that two PBO staff members assisted Van Rooyen while he was the whip of the standing committee on finance. The staff members allegedly wrote his assignments while he was studying. The letter does not reveal what he was studying towards or at which institution.
"In 2014 and 2015 two of my colleagues … assisted Des van Rooyen with academic assignments. Both told me this in person and I have recently testified to this under oath," read the document presented to Madonsela.
The staff member has already testified about this at the CCMA and he will be cross-examined in November. He has informed Madonsela about his presentation to the CCMA.
The director of the PBO, Mohammed Jahed, has been accused of facilitating and encouraging his staff to help MPs with academic and political work, according to the claims.
Jahed has denied this, saying that if any staff member undertook any work for any person, it would be at their own discretion. "I have no control over what my staff do in their personal capacity,” he said.
Jahed has claimed he has been subjected to “vicious and disingenuous” attacks by a disgruntled former employee who resigned after believing he was overlooked for promotion in the PBO.
One of the staff members alleged to have done work for Van Rooyen said he was contractually prevented from speaking to the media and so would not comment on the allegations.
Van Rooyen, who is now the co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister, has not responded to questions.
His spokesman said the minister was in Ecuador attending the Habitat III conference.
The minister has several diplomas and an MSc Finance (Economic Policy), which he obtained in July 2014 from the University of London.
In February, Zuma said Van Rooyen was the most qualified person to be appointed to the position of finance minister.
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