The Democratic Alliance has called on President Jacob Zuma to fire Dina Pule after new revelations about the embattled minister of communications were published in a weekend newspaper.
“The latest revelations in the ongoing saga of … Pule’s cronyism and self-enrichment leaves President Zuma with no other option but to fire her,” says DA MP and shadow communications minister Marian Shinn. “The president can no longer sit back and make a mockery of the South African public by allowing minister Pule to stay in cabinet.”
The Sunday Independent newspaper reported at the weekend that Pule handpicked Gugu Duda to be chief financial officer of the SABC and unduly influenced the board’s decision, according to Shinn. “Duda in turn promised her former colleague, Nomakhaya Malebane, the position of deputy as Duda herself admitted that she did not have sufficient financial managerial experience,” Shinn says.
“Duda was suspended in September for signing off a R3m sponsorship deal for the now-controversial ICT Indaba, which benefitted minister Pule’s boyfriend, Phosane Mngqibisa, to the tune of R6m. This should be the last straw in what has been the disastrous tenure of minister Pule. It is high time that she be shown the door and that it be done without any delay. South Africans cannot be expected to wait any longer while this looting of her department continues.”
According to Shinn, Pule’s time in office has been “characterised by her putting her own closed, crony circles above the best interests of the ICT sector”. — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media