The South African Police Services (SAPS) will investigate allegations of corruption against Dina Pule as pressure continues to mount on the troubled communications minister.
HumanIPO reported yesterday Pule had apologised to members of staff at The Sunday Times newspaper after accusing them of blackmail and carrying out a personally motivated smear campaign against her.
Marian Shinn, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) spokesperson for communications, requested SAPS investigate the conduct of Pule, Gugu Dada, chief financial officer at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the minister’s reported boyfriend Phosane Mngqibisa and Lulama Makhobo, group chief executive officer at SABC in April.
In a statement yesterday, Shinn said SAPS had agreed to investigate after she presented evidence which was based on allegations made in The Sunday Times on March 24.
She said: “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.”
Pule is already under investigation by parliament’s Ethics and Members’ Interest Committee, which met last week, for her role in the ICT Indaba in Cape Town last year.
The Public Protector is also investigating her involvement in the ICT Indaba.
Shinn added: “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.”
