The ANC congratulated President Cyril Ramaphosa for appointing controversial former communication minister Dina Pule back into the Cabinet, 13 years after then-president Jacob Zuma fired her for unethical behaviour.
Ramaphosa announced Pule’s appointment as the new Social Development minister as part of his Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday.
Pule is replacing controversial Sisisi Tolashe, whom President Ramaphosa fired from the same department on May 14 for various unethical behaviour, including failure to disclose two luxury cars donated to the ANC Women’s League, which were allegedly registered in her children’s names.
Ramaphosa’s reshuffle also saw DA’s Willem Aucamp becoming the Agriculture minister and David Maynier as Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment minister.
Former DA leader John Steenhuisen was demoted from Agriculture minister to Trade, Industry and Competition deputy minister.
Alexandra Abrahams is now the new Electricity and Energy deputy minister, Jack Bloom the Water and Sanitation deputy minister while Yusuf Cassim, another DA leader, is now the Higher Education deputy minister.
Pule’s inclusion in the list of new appointees drew sharp criticism from political parties.
However, the ANC, which is the dominant party in the Government of National Unity (GNU), issued a statement welcoming Pule back into the Cabinet.
“We extend our warm congratulations and wish her strength, wisdom and success as she assumes this important responsibility in the service of the people of South Africa.
“We are confident that she will discharge her duties with dedication and commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable in our society,” read the statement.
The ANC spokesperson Vincent Magwenya declined to comment on Pule’s shady past, while Ramaphosa’s spokesperson did not respond to questions sent to him on Wednesday morning.
Zuma fired her as communications minister after then-Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that she persistently lied and acted unethically.
Her unethical conduct stemmed from her denial of having a romantic relationship with Phosane Mngqibisa, whom she improperly benefited using spousal privileges.
Pule later admitted to the relationship with Mngqibisa leading to the Parliament reprimanding her for violating her oath of office and bringing the Parliament into disrepute.
Despite facing serious allegations, Pule remained an ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) member and ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) deputy secretary-general.
Tolashe, who is also an ANC NEC member although removed as ANCWL president and ANC MP, was also accused of improper hiring practices, falsification of qualifications, unauthorised extension of a former director-general’s contract and using departmental household assistants for personal labor.
The Social Development Department’s controversial ministers include former ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini.
The Johannesburg Magistrate Court sentenced Dlamini, who is also an ANC National Executive Committee member, to four years imprisonment or a fine of R200,000 after she was convicted of perjury four years ago.
Judge Betty Khumalo found her guilty of lying under oath during the Ngoepe inquiry into a Sassa grant scandal in 2017. Dlamini was among 14 ANC MPs found guilty in 2006 of involvement in the travel voucher scam, popularly known as Travelgate and the Cape High Court ordered her to pay a R120,000 fine or serve five years in prison.
Activists and Citizens Forum spokesperson Dennis Bloem described Pule’s appointment as disgusting.
Bloem said the appointment indicated that Ramaphosa lied when he campaigned to be the country’s leader that he would not tolerate corruption in his administration.
“With this scandalous appointment of Dina Pule, President Ramaphosa just showed the people of the country that corruption is a status symbol in the ANC.
“One must be corrupt if one wants to be promoted,” said Bloem.
He said taxpayers should not allow their hard earned money to pay a salary of an antithetical person.
“We are asking what message is President Ramaphosa sending out to the country and the world?
“Which investor will invest their money in a country that appoints corrupt ministers?” said Bloem.
The DA, which is the major partner in the ANC-led GNU, described Pule’s appointment as “shocking”.
“The DA believes that Social Development is such a crucial portfolio, with such a significant budget, that it demands a minister of impeccable credentials – not one found to have previously betrayed her oath of office and to have brought Parliament into disrepute.
“It appears President Ramaphosa has chosen ANC Women’s League interests, over the interests of millions who rely on social grants and need a reliable minister,” said DA MP Nazley Sharif.
UMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) national spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu described Pule’s appointment as not surprising.
“Replacing Sisisi Tolashe with Dina Pule is just what you would expect from Ramaphosa. It is a recycling of ancient, corrupt and incompetent allies,” said Mahlangu.
The MKP had expected that Ramaphosa would use the reshuffling to remove suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu.
“It is strange that there are continuous Cabinet reshuffles but Senzo Mchunu maintains his position.
“We can only wonder what Senzo has on the president,” said Mahlangu.
He also criticised Ramaphosa for succumbing to DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis’s pressure to remove Steenhuisen from Agriculture.
“The leader of the DA has confirmed that he asked the president to demote John Steenhuisen, and the president did exactly that.
“This is proof that the president is weak, that he takes orders from the DA, and is a lackey of the Stellenbosch-DA power block,” said Mahlangu.
University of KwaZulu-Natal political analyst Sakhile Hadebe said by bringing Pule back into the Cabinet, Ramaphosa was trying to manage ANC’s internal factional dynamics and satisfy influential party constituencies.
“Dina Pule has remained politically active within the ANC Women’s League, serving in its leadership, and her name had been circulating for weeks as the preferred candidate for the vacancy in Social Development.
“This is an example of what we call elite circulation rather than elite renewal.
“Instead of introducing new leadership, the President has recycled an experienced but controversial political figure who enjoys support within important structures of the governing party,” said Hadebe.
bongani.hans@inl.co.za
