POLITICS

AG probe of ICT Indaba inadequate - Marian Shinn

DA MP says Public Protector needs to probe Minister Dina Pule's possible conflict of interest

Public Protector needs to focus on ICT Indaba conflicts and ethics 

The possible conflict of interest of the Minister of Communications, Dina Pule, will fall outside the scope of the investigations into the ICT Indaba debacle by the office of the Auditor General (AG) and should therefore still be probed by the Public Protector. 

I have asked the Public Protector to lift the suspension of my request of late June to investigate the possible conflict of interest of Communications Minister Dina Pule relating to the ICT Indaba. A man to whom the Minister Pule is romantically linked, Phosane Mngqibisa, is believed to have benefitted financially from the Indaba which was hosted by the Minister. 

On 28 June, I received communication from the Public Protector confirming that, due to resource constraints in her department, she had decided to suspend proceedings on my request to allow for an AG probe to run its course. The AG had been approached by the Minister to probe the R10 million aspect of the department's financing of the event. It is believed that private companies - mainly telecommunications companies - paid a R26-million bill to stage the ICT Indaba. 

I have, however, received confirmation from the AG's office, through corporate executive Alice Muller, that there is no overlap between the scope of the AG's probe and my request to the Public Protector. 

Ms Muller's communication to me indicated that the AG's office discussed Minister Pule's request with her on 4 July 2012, and that it was determined that: 

  • The probe would "focus on the payment of R10 million from the Department of Communications to the ICT Indaba to ensure that due process was followed by the department";
  • "A review of the role of the Minister, the spending of funds by the event organiser and the basis on which the money was contributed by other institutions were explicitly excluded from the scope"; and
  •  "The review will be done as part of the regularity audit for 2011-2012 which will be concluded no later than 31 July 2012."

The AG's response clearly indicates that the Minister's haste to request the probe was little more than an attempt to deflect attention away from the crux of the ICT Indaba funding issue. This is whether the Minister abused her position of authority over companies in the Information and Communications Technology industry to enrich a close personal friend with funds that are not subject to parliamentary or Auditor General oversight.

I now see no reason why the Public Protector should not proceed with vigour to determine the extent of Minister Pule's knowledge and influence over the organisation, financing and profitability of the ICT Indaba, and whether she used this to the advantage of someone with whom she has a close, personal relationship.

Statement issued by Marian Shinn MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, July 11 2012

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