The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on\u00a0President Jacob Zuma to expel former Communications Minister Dina Pule from Parliament, immediately.<\/p>\n
On Thursday (5 December) Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela found Pule guilty of unlawful, unethical and improper conduct in connection with the appointment of service providers to render event management services for the hosting of the Department of Communications ICT Indaba held in Cape Town from 4 to 7 June 2012.<\/p>\n
DA shadow minister of communications,\u00a0Marian Shinn, said that Pule should not be\u00a0given “a soft landing in a diplomatic or government posting, as is openly discussed as an option in ANC circles”.<\/p>\n
The DA said in a statement:<\/p>\n
Amongst other findings, Madonsela found that Pule violated section 96(2)(c) of the Constitution and section 2.3(h) of the Executive Ethics Code.<\/p>\n
In terms of section 96(2)(c) of the Constitution, Cabinet members may not \u201cuse their positions or any information entrusted to them, to enrich themselves or improperly benefit any other person\u201d.<\/p>\n
Section 2.3(h) of the Executive Ethics Code states that Members of the Executive may not \u201cmake improper use of any allowance or payment properly made to them, or disregard the administrative rules which apply to such allowance or payments\u201d.<\/p>\n
Pule has already been found guilty by the multiparty Parliamentary Ethics and Members\u2019 Interests Committee of violating the Executive Members\u2019 Ethics Code, and escaped with an insincere apology and a seat on Parliament\u2019s Portfolio Committee on Transport.<\/p>\n
Adv Madonsela\u2019s damning report of the rapacious way in which Ms Pule, her romantic partner Phosane Mngqibisa and some officials in the Department, saw Carol Bouwer\u2019s idea of the ICT Indaba as an opportunity for self-enrichment and cavalier behaviour, are a clear indication that Ms Pule has an ethical deficit and inability to act in the best interests of the government and citizens when her own interests are conflicted. This is not the fabric from which diplomats and high office bearers are made.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Shinn said that the above charges\u00a0must be added to the basket of investigations already underway (at the request of the DA) by the Hawks into possible corruption into the improper appointments of hand-picked people into senior management and board positions in the Department of Communications and entities that report to it.<\/p>\n
“Decisive action is now needed to remove Dina Pule from any public office,” Shinn said.<\/p>\n
“President Zuma must follow the Public Protectors\u2019 recommendations that Pule face the full might of the law for her transgressions while in public office, eat humble pie and make good on her promise to ensure that every taxpayers\u2019 cent that funded her former boyfriend\u2019s jet-set life as her companion is returned to the fiscus,” Shinn said.<\/p>\n
The DA also called on\u00a0Pule’s successor, Communications Minister Yunus Carrim to drive the law enforcement agencies to urgently investigate Pule\u2019s unlawful activities raised in the report, as well as those already referred to them by Parliament following the damning findings by its Ethics and Members\u2018 Interests committee.<\/p>\n
This, the political party was instructed by the Public Protector.<\/p>\n
More on Dina Pule<\/h3>\n
Pule must pay back every cent: Madonsela<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
He is not my boyfriend: Pule<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n