Meddling Muthambi must personally pay for her judicial review of SABC report

10 March 2017

The DA will write to Communications Minister, Faith Muthambi, to demand confirmation that she will personally pay for the legal costs of taking the SABC Ad Hoc committee report on judicial review.

Muthambi is doing her utmost to avoid accountability by taking the report, which was adopted in the National Assembly on Tuesday by most parties, including the ANC, on review.

She claims she was not given proper notice of the allegations against her and as a result was “substantially prejudiced” in her ability to respond meaningfully. This is a bold-faced lie.

Muthambi was given ample opportunity to reply to the allegations in person before the committee and was also allowed to publish a written response to the findings of the report before final publication, which she did.

During the Ad Hoc committee proceedings, it became clear that the SABC board’s failure could, in many ways, be attributed to the Minister’s meddling. The committee also found that the Minister displayed incompetence in carrying out her responsibilities.

If the Minister had one ounce of shame, she would do the honourable thing and resign, not use public money to try and defend the indefensible.

The DA has already written to the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, to request an urgent investigation as we believe she lied under oath, gave false and misleading evidence to the committee and used her position to unduly benefit Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

In so doing, the DA believes she has breached the Constitution, Executive Ethics Code and the Powers Privileges and Diplomatic Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Government Acts.

It is clear that the Minister is now scrambling as the evidence against her is plain for all to see.

Muthambi is clearly not fit for office.

Whether Muthambi does the honourable thing and resigns or the President removes her of her position, she must go with immediate effect.

Statement issued by Mike Waters MP, Deputy Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance, 10 March 2017