Pretoria – A government employee, whose Facebook remarks were construed as being racially offensive, has pleaded guilty to charges of serious misconduct.
Following his comments on Facebook, Velaphi Khumalo, was suspended from the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and an internal disciplinary hearing process ensued.
During his internal disciplinary hearing, he committed to avail himself for corrective measures, which include counselling.
“The disciplinary panel deemed it fit to issue him with a final written warning. Upon accepting the sanction, Khumalo’s suspension will duly be lifted and he will be able to carry out his duties as a Sports Promoter, allowing the department to carry out its mission of getting Gauteng active,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday.
Following the incident, the department has since taken measures to orientate and workshop all employees on its communication policies, including the use of social media.
“As the province and as the department, we are committed to promoting social cohesion and unity of all the people of Gauteng and the rest of South Africa. We believe this was a lesson to learn, especially in how we react to issues happening around us in order to avoid exacerbating the situation,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
