The Department of Communications (DoC) have defended Dina Pule, communications minister, from the allegations made against her in a recent Sunday Times report and she is set to take the matter to the press ombudsman.
The DoC said in a statement: “The Department of Communications is astounded by the extraordinary attack and persistent smear campaign being waged by the Sunday Times against Minister Dina Pule.
“The Department is of the view that the Sunday Times is guilty of breaching the Press Code and must apologise to the Minister.”
HumanIPO reported yesterday on the allegations made against Pule by the Sunday Times, which accused her of nepotism due to her boyfriend, Phosane Mngqibisa, allegedly being behind appointments at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
The Sunday Times investigation also reportedly uncovered evidence of an internal audit indicating Mngqibisa organised jobs for friends and relatives on the boards of Sentech, the Post Office and Usasa, apparently with Pule’s full knowledge.
However, the DoC responded to this by saying: “The malicious suggestion… that the Minister has ceded control of her portfolio to [a] person outside the department is a serious insult.”
Furthermore the DoC said Pule is planning to approach the Press Ombudsman because the Sunday Times “has consistently breached the Press Code by running what is clearly a politically motivated smear campaign” against her.
“For more than nine months now, the Sunday Times has been running a series of fabricated stories with the clear intention to tarnish the reputation of minister Pule.
“The random use by the Sunday Times of unnamed ‘sources’, without any attempt to state their credibility and especially their independence, amounted to a serious breach of the Press Code,” said the DoC.
The DoC is of the opinion the newspaper has not presented any evidence to support their allegations, instead the DoC believes the Sunday Times elevated “allegations and opinion as fact,” which the department believes is “misleading to readers”.
“For the record, the minister remains in charge of the department and is discharging her responsibilities in terms of the Constitution. Minister Pule is not responsible for administrative processes in the department, which is the responsibility of the accounting officer,” said The DoC.
The DoC believes the latest article by the Sunday Times, “Fire Pule now, Mr President” reveals the real intention of the newspaper, which is to “demonize minister Pule”, perpetuate this in the public opinion and then request her removal from office.
“It is an extraordinary act for a newspaper to take such a public stance based on unverified allegations. All that is left is for the newspaper to tell us is, on who’s behalf are they running the campaign against minister Pule,” added the DoC.
