Scrap the Department of Communications: DA

·2 Feb 2015

The Democratic Alliance has called on President Jacob Zuma to consider doing away with the Department of Communications (DoC).

It follows rumours that the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) is to be moved away from the DoC.

A newly reconfigured department was announced in May last year, when president Zuma announced his new cabinet, including the launch of a new Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services, led by former minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele.

The communications department was to be led by communications minister, Faith Muthambi.

“Shifting the GCIS away from the Department of Communications would be a massive vote of no confidence in Minister Faith Muthambi. It would also see her role in government reduced to practically nothing,” said Gavin Davis, DA shadow minister of communications.

Unlike previous communications ministers, Muthambi has no part to play in telecommunications as this falls under the newly created Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services.

The DA pointed out that Muthambi has not had a role as a cabinet spokesperson since she was dumped after just a few months. “Even the media training course she was sent on (at a cost of R12 000 per session) was not enough to save her,” Davis said.

“The impending removal of the GCIS from her purview explains Muthambi’s recent unlawful threats to remove SABC board members from office. She is trying to extend her tentacles into the SABC because it is all she has left.

“But South Africa doesn’t want and doesn’t need a ‘Minister of the SABC’. An independent public broadcaster should operate at arms length from a Minister to ensure that it is free from political interference,” the shadow minister said.

The DA said that best solution is for President Zuma to admit that the creation of the new Department of Communications was a mistake, and to quietly disband it.