Johannesburg - Welfare organisation, Meals on Wheels Community Services SA (MoW), has appointed an independent firm of forensic investigators to look into allegations that its CEO spiced up her resume in order to secure the top job. In her CV and employment application, Nelisa Mabenge claimed she was President Cyril Ramaphosa’s adviser and worked as a strategic adviser in the office of the Presidency from 2018 to 2020.
But the alleged scam was unearthed when Mabenge allegedly acted star-struck at events which Ramaphosa attended and even took selfies.
Mow board vice-chairperson pastor Mandla Lupondwana, said they will wait for the investigation to be concluded before deciding on a course of action.
He would also not be drawn on whether a criminal case would be opened against Mabenge or whether she would have to pay back the salary she earned during her time as CEO. .
“We do not publish the confidential salary details of any of our employees, in line with legislation. The matter is still being investigated and we do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation,” said Lupondwana in reply to questions about whether a new CEO has been appointed, what steps MoW would take or how exactly the alleged fraud was uncovered.
On whether the revelations of the alleged fake CV damaged the organisation’s reputation, Lupondwana said: “We continue to provide meals to the most vulnerable in our communities and we urge all to continue caring for and supporting those in our communities who need it the most. Even though our national programme has reached a service level of providing 31 million meals per annum through more than 700 service points, the need is still great.”
On her CV and work in the Presidency, Mabenge stated she provided a strategic vision for leadership, formulated long-term strategies, developed strategic policies and guidelines, profiled leadership locally and internationally, developed models of compliance ethics and values in the office and developed a presidential stance or posture on national issues.
The MoW board employed Mabenge in March this year. When asked to confirm if Mabenge was ever employed in the Presidency, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said: “Our HR department is not aware of this individual and our records show that the Presidency did not have Nelisa Mabenge as an employee between the years 2018 to 2020.”
MoW has been fighting against hunger for more than 50 years.
The organisation's statement reads: “We are committed to upholding an ethical culture within our organisation and strive to be at the forefront of supporting and promoting responsible corporate citizenship. As such, Meals on Wheels Community Services does not condone any form of fraudulent or unethical conduct.
“We were made aware of allegations that one of our employees may have falsified their CV. We have now appointed an independent firm of forensic investigators to look into the matter. We assure our stakeholders that we are following our appropriate internal processes in dealing with this serious matter fairly. We continue to provide meals to the most vulnerable in our communities and we urge all to continue caring for and supporting those in our communities who need it the most.”