SAPS agrees to investigate Dina Pule

Following the DA's request for an investigation into allegations of corruption involving appointments in the Department of Communications and its entities by the Minister of Communications, Dina Pule, and her alleged boyfriend Phosane Mngqibisa, the South African Police Services (SAPS) has agreed to proceed with the investigation. The case number is 1/05/2013.

This police investigation is based on the affidavit I submitted to the SAPS on 10 April 2013 based on a Sunday Times story on 24 March 2013 that alleged:

• "...evidence of an internal audit showing that Mngqibisa engineered getting friends and relatives on the boards of the Post Office, Sentech, USAASA and the SABC with the full knowledge of [Dina] Pule",
• "Mngqibisa engineered getting friends and family appointed onto the boards of the Post Office, Sentech, USAASA and the SABC",
• "Mngqibisa engineered the appointment of his close relative, Lulama Makhobo, to the post of SABC CEO as well as one of his close friends, Gugu Duda, as Chief Financial Officer",
• The appointment of Gugu Duda was a ‘done deal': Nomakhaya Malebane alleged that "by now the discussions are finalised and considered a ‘done deal' with DP [Dina Pule] having met GD [Gugu Duda] and confirmed to her that she is her choice and that all that needs to happen is to endorse this through formal board interviews",
• In the report, Dina Pule claimed that she only became involved in the appointments "after the SABC board had completed the search and interviews for suitable candidates".

The DA trusts that this investigation will be met with full disclosure by the Minister and all other parties involved, and that appropriate steps are taken should a case for prosecution be established.

Minister Dina Pule is currently under investigation by different agencies based on a variety of allegations against her. The parliamentary ethics and members' interest committee met on Thursday and Friday, 2 and 3 May 2013, to deal exclusively with the Minister's role in the ICT Indaba in Cape Town in 2012. The Public Protector is also investigating Minister Dina Pule in connection with the ICT Indaba. 

This is clearly a compromised Minister. President Zuma should suspend Dina Pule until such stage as these investigations are completed and the outcomes are known. To not do so would be to fundamentally undermine the principles of good governance. 

The high levels of corruption in South Africa need to be met by swift action, especially when it takes place at the very top.

This investigation is hopefully the first step towards ensuring that this happens.

Statement issued by Marian Shinn MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, May 5 2013

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