Pule welcomes Public Protector probe

Communications minister, Dina Pule, has instructed her staff to cooperate fully with the Public Protector.

Communications minister, Dina Pule, says she welcomes an investigation by the Public Protector into a potential conflict of interest in the hosting of the ICT Indaba.

The office of the Public Protector confirmed it would conduct a preliminary investigation into claims that Pule was involved in the misuse of funds for the event.

This after the DA approached Thuli Madonsela following reports that R25 million rand raised by sponsors for the event cannot be accounted for.

In a statement, Pule said she had not yet received notification from the Public Protector regarding the probe – but said she welcomed the decision.  

“The Minister has instructed her staff to cooperate fully with the Public Protector, as they have done when they were dealing with the Office of the Auditor General,” the Department of Communications (DOC) said.

In June, a national newspaper reported that a man she was romantically linked to, Phosane Mngqibisa, drew millions in sponsorship fees for the recent ICT Indaba from the account of the event organiser.

According to the paper, R25.7 million was paid in sponsorship fees by Vodacom, MTN and Telkom. The paper alleges millions from the fees were irregularly withdrawn by Mngqibisa.

In August, the Auditor General report found that the minister and all the officials of the Department of Communications (DOC) followed proper processes and procedures in engaging the service provider and in executing the ICT Indaba.

“The minister is committed to clean governance. She requested the Office of the Auditor General to help the Department and its companies improve their adherence to corporate governance…The minister is convinced that there is no wrongdoing on her part as the report of the Auditor General has found,” the statement concluded.