Hijacked hired vehicle was 'collecting top government official's dress'

A tiff between a top government official and a driver — allegedly over a dress — has resulted in an internal investigation.

The communications and digital technologies department is probing a possible violation of its travel management policy, with an external lawyer interviewing affected officials this week.

The investigation was launched after a vehicle hired at taxpayers’ expense, allegedly to collect the official's dress, was hijacked.

The incident happened on the evening of Friday, May 10 last year, after the department's director-general Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani wanted “a package” to be collected by departmental driver Mduduzi Ndhlazi.

According to three sources in the department, the package was a dress which Jordan-Dyani wanted to wear to a wedding in Cape Town. Jordan-Dyani has denied the package was a dress, saying it was “sensitive documents”.

In a statement filed along with his claim to be reimbursed for personal items stolen in the hijacking, Ndhlazi says Jordan-Dyani called him at 4.35pm “to collect a package from Arcadia in Pretoria”.

Three other officials, whose names are known to the Sunday Times, were involved in signing a travel form for the hiring of a vehicle, approving the trip and issuing the order, according to Ndhlazi's statement, which the Sunday Times has seen.

Ndhlazi collected the hired car at about 6pm and was later ambushed at gunpoint by hijackers while driving with his teenage son. The two were dumped near Mamelodi, east of Pretoria.

“While waiting for confirmation of the time the package was ready to pick up, I drove home and picked up my son from his aunt as a daily routine,” Ndhlazi stated.

Describing the hijacking, he said he was “tortured at gunpoint” while blindfolded before he and his son were dumped in an isolated area. The hijackers took off with his belongings, including groceries amounting to R500, he claims.

Responding to questions from the Sunday Times, Jordan-Dyani confirmed calling Ndhlazi but said she did not authorise the trip or the hiring of the vehicle.

While waiting for confirmation of the time the package was ready to pick up, I drove home and picked up my son from his aunt as a daily routine.

—  Mduduzi Ndhlazi, departmental driver 

She said she had left the office and needed Ndhlazi, a driver employed by the department, to collect documents.

“When Mdu [Ndhlazi] said here are no [pool] cars, I told him to leave it. What transpired after is what I'm not involved with.”

She alleged that officials who signed the forms authorising the hiring of the vehicle only did so after the incident.

Jordan-Dyani said the hired vehicle was not used for official duty and had been taken for grocery shopping and to a stokvel.

“Why did he choose a van/SUV instead of other cars? ⁠I did not authorise (this) and even the forms where signed post incident by other officials. That is part of the investigation,” said Jordan-Dyani.

She denied that the package was a dress and that she had a wedding to attend in Cape Town: “Can they produce evidence of such? The coincidence of this matter being raised now should be questioned. Investigations in the finance and SCM (supply chain management) departments relate to awarding of contracts in which there have been reports of fraud, bribery and corruption.”

The hijacked vehicle was recovered the following day in Thembisa by the tracking company and police, according to Ndhlazi's statement.

In his claim lodged in November, Ndhlazi lists goods worth R25,000 that were allegedly stolen, including three cellphones, a laptop and a watch.

The claim is still pending. It was approved by the director of administration, but did not have the required sign-off from the CFO or Jordan-Dyani.

Efforts to contact Ndhlazi were unsuccessful.

The Sunday Times has been told that the incident has left Ndhlazi's son traumatised and that he underwent trauma counselling.

Department spokesperson Nomawethu Solwandle said the matter was being investigated for suspected violation of travel management policy. 

“Upon conclusion of the investigation, necessary consequence management will be followed, including recovery of any expense incurred by the department where applicable,” she said.

She declined to comment on the dress that was allegedly being collected, saying it was being probed.