Marian Shinn, shadow minister of communications for the Democratic Alliance (DA), laid criminal charges against Dina Pule, South Africa’s communications minister, today.
In a statement issued this afternoon, Shinn said the DA had asked police to investigate Pule as well as Gugu Duda, chief financial officer at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Phosane Mngqibisa, head of Khemano Events, and Lulama Makhobo, group chief executive officer of SABC.
Speaking to HumanIPO this morning Shinn had said: “We’re asking the police to investigate possible corruption and, if they find sufficient evidence, to charge her. A release will be distributed after we have visited the police.”
In this afternoon’s statement, Shinn said it was her duty to lay the charge because she is in a position of authority and has sufficient knowledge of offences.
This is in line with section 34(1) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004.
Following her visit to the Cape Town Central Police Station, the DA tweeted her as saying: “This is wider than the ICT Indaba,” referring to Phosane Mngqibisa, Pule’s alleged romantic partner having allegedly been involved in the misuse of public funds.
Shinn made reference to the allegations made by the Sunday Times in an article last month and to which Pule and the Department of Communications (DoC) took offence, denying the allegations.
The Sunday Times alleged it “uncovered evidence of an internal audit showing that Mngqibisa engineered getting friends and relatives on the boards of the Post Office, Sentech, USSASA and the SABC with the full knowledge of Pule”.
Other allegations indicate Mngqibisa was behind the appointment of Lulama Makhobo, his close relative, to the post of SABC chief executive. Duda is described as a close friend of Mngqibisa and he allegedly engineered her appointment.
Pule apparently confirmed Duda was her choice and the only remaining procedure included Duda’s endorsement through formal board interviews.
Pule then claimed she was only involved with appointments once the SABC board had already concluded their search and interviews for suitable candidates.
“Corruption cannot be tolerated at any level and any warranted suspicion of corruption of public representatives should be investigated by [the] SAPS (South African Police Service).”
