Freedom Park CEO reinstated four days after being shown the door

Freedom Park Heritage CEO Dr. Jane Mufamadi has been reinstated to work following a brief suspension by the institution's members of council amid allegations of corruption and nepotism.

Mufamadi’s return followed the council’s decision to suspend and escort her out of the facilities on Wednesday last week. She faced scrutiny over allegations that she had captured the institution where her close family, relatives, and friends are alleged to be employed and that funds were being misused.

In a dramatic move that signalled internal conflicts, the company's acting company secretary, Dr. Andrew Arries, wrote on Monday, informing the staffers that the suspension had been withdrawn and to expect Mufumadi back at work.

“This serves to inform you that the precautionary suspension served on the CEO, Dr Jane Mufamadi, on January 29, 2025, has been withdrawn immediately. The CEO will hopefully resume her duties on Monday, February 3, 2025, or as soon as she can,” read the letter.

Mufamadi has been facing various allegations, including mismanagement of the organisation. In a letter dated July 10, 2024, addressed to Sports and Culture Minister Gayton Mckenzie and seen by IOL, staffers at the organisation accused Mufumadi of “preying on taxpayers” funds.

“Under Dr. Jane Mufamadi, Freedom Park has been turned into a sectarian organisation that, in addition to this horrendous action, has been embroiled in corruption of high proportions and maladministration. As the concerned staff of Freedom Park, we tabulate below a litany of examples of gross maladministration and corrupt activities under Dr. Jane Mufamadi,” read the letter.

The employees accused Mufamadi of initiating an email only for Venda-speaking staff members, adding that she led a Venda-speaking staffer in writing a letter to Parliament to report on the organisation's work without the knowledge of other staff members and the Human Resources Department.

They told the ministry that, among other things, she had allegedly bought herself a Mercedes-Benz using public funds.

“Awarding and influencing a security tender through which her friends and family benefitted.

“Interference on the interview process of storytellers and cleaners with a clear motive to appoint Venda-speaking people. A storyteller was not appointed for being gay, while the cleaner was not appointed for being lesbian. We want the Ministry to help probe this matter further.”

They also alleged that Mufamadi was conducting “rampant suspensions and expulsions” of staff who were not Venda-speaking and accused her of only appointing service providers from Venda. About 90% of companies that got tenders from Freedom Park are owned by Venda people and failed to recover some of R350, 000 from a Venda company.

The staffers went on to ask for an investigation into the expulsion of the Head of the Department, Dr Otsile Ntsoane, for allegedly attending the funeral of the late Commissar Mbulelo Musi in 2023. They added that in the disciplinary hearing, the presiding officers were both Venda people who were reportedly paid “scaringly exorbitant amounts” to execute the action against Ntsoane.

They also alleged that a branch union leader, Jabulani Phelago, was suspended for writing a letter to the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Arts and Culture, which raised some concerns about the entity.

Mufamadi did not respond to questions from IOL.

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