Eastern Cape Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Fikile Xasa has suspended his Head of Department Nombulelo Hackula.
Department spokesperson Mankeli Ngam says this is due to issues raised by a forensic investigation conducted by the province's Social Development Department, where Hackula was previously employed.
Ngam said the investigation had made serious allegations that Hackula has to answer to.
He said she is required by law to answer to those allegations, hence her suspension to allow the investigation to take its course.
He said the Deputy Director General for the Local Government Development portfolio Nomphelo Roboji has been appointed as the The Department's acting HOD.
