Two senior officials from the Eastern Cape Department of Education have been suspended following allegations of workplace bullying and harassment.
Media liaison for the MEC Fundile Gade, Velani Mbiza-Gola, and the department’s Director of Communications, Vuyiseka Mboxela, are currently suspended pending the outcome of an internal probe.
The Department’s spokesperson, Malibongwe Mtima, said it condemned any form of harassment in the workplace.
“The Eastern Cape Department of Education leadership condemns the acts of harassment and bullying in the workplace, including assault of any employee by another during working hours. This follows the recent report in local media involving the Director of Communications and the MEC Media Liaison Spokesperson, who are alleged to have committed such misconduct relating to the harassment. The department condemns any form of harassment in the workplace as such is against government policies, and therefore cannot be tolerated,” Mtima said.
The public statement released by Vuyiseka Mboxela.
This follows reports of a formal complaint that was lodged against Mbiza-Gola after he allegedly manhandled the provincial education communications office assistant director.
The complaint led to a protest held at the headquarters of the provincial education department in Zwelitsha where members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) called for Mbiza-Gola’s suspension.
Mtima said it has interacted with the union on the matter, and currently, the Department is resolute to take disciplinary action against the two employees involved.
“An independent investigating team is being appointed to lead such an investigation. Furthermore, the two employees have been put on precautionary suspension pending the finalisation of the investigation,” Mtima said.
The Department will also be engaging in ‘agressive training programmes’ of its managers and staff on: The prevention and elimation of harassment in the public service world of work policy.
“The policy covers all aspects related to harassment, ranging from physical harassment, sexual harassment, discriminatory harassment, psychological harassment, bullyin,g including retaliation harassment,” Mtima said.
Mboxela said she refused to be destroyed in the public for a second time and made a public statement regarding the incident.
“In July 2023, I was involved in an altercation with colleagues that led to my suspension, even though three people were involved. The Department suspended me without hearing my side but issued a public statement about it. Only two weeks later, I was allowed to explain, where I revealed the bullying and humiliation I endured. After months of silence, I was recalled without ever receiving the report, despite my enquiries, most recently on August 3, 2025,” the statement read.
She further stated that on August 21, Nehawu led a strike with placards suggesting untruths about her.
“I respect this giant union and await the Department’s outline process to clarify these false claims. However, lies will be exposed,” Mboxela said.
“Shockingly, on August 27, 2025, a statement against me came out with strong words like ‘sexual harassment, physical harassment, bullying’ written on behalf of the department by someone themselves implicated in sexual assault against an intern – an issue I stood against when others tried to silence it. This incident is known in the Department. Recently, I also told this very person to stop sending me inappropriate messages,” she said.
She stated that if the Department was sincere about its investigation, it must include an investigation into:
Toxicity and mistreatment of interns
Sexual misconduct across sections and districts
Abuse of power to silence differing views
Vilification of junior officials resisting unlawful instructions.
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