The Nelson Mandela Foundation said on Wednesday it was firing its outgoing chief executive, Sello Hatang, after an investigation into complaints about him from some employees revealed that he had conducted himself in an unacceptable manner.
This comes after the foundation said last month it had placed Hatang — who had already resigned earlier in May — on special leave pending an investigation into his alleged bad behaviour. It did not specify what the conduct was.
“After considering the outcomes of the independent investigation, and ensuring that the process had been conducted fairly and without prejudice, the board concluded that Mr Hatang’s conduct had been unbecoming and was unacceptable for someone in his position and that he should be summarily dismissed,” the foundation’s chairperson, Njabulo Ndebele, said in Wednesday’s statement.
“The board will not comment further on the specifics of the matter, save to say that it has caused much distress to the foundation, its employees and its broader community of stakeholders.”
He said the focus now was on ensuring continuity in the foundation’s activities, particularly in the approach to Mandela birthday commemorations on 18 July and promoting the global icon’s vision of freedom and equality for all.
The process of appointing a new CEO would begin soon, Ndebele added.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation was established in 1999 — when its founder stepped down as South Africa’s first democratically elected president after a single term — and provided the base for his charitable work.
It has carried on Mandela’s legacy following his death in December 2013 at the age of 95.
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