Zuma set to sack Pule

The communications minister is to be moved out of the portfolio to make way for “rising star” Lindiwe Zulu, according to weekend newspaper reports.

Added by Duncan McLeod on 10 February 2013.
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Dina Pule

Dina Pule

Weekend newspaper reports suggest that controversial communications minister Dina Pule is about to be sacked by President Jacob Zuma, with Lindiwe Zulu to take her place in the crucial portfolio.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, Zuma will remove Pule, whose department has been criticised for poor oversight of issues crucial to the telecommunications and broadcasting industries, as part of an imminent reshuffling of his cabinet.

Pule has been plagued by controversy since she took over the communications portfolio from the late Roy Padayachie. She’s been accused of channeling millions in sponsorship money earmarked for last year’s ICT Indaba in Cape Town to her alleged boyfriend, Phosane Mngqibisa.

On her watch, the department of communications has also failed to meet already-extended deadlines to switch on digital terrestrial television broadcasts. There has also been little progress in opening up radio frequency spectrum for next-generation mobile broadband services.

The minister also recommended to cabinet that the proposed sale of 20% of Telkom’s equity to Korea’s KT Corp not be supported by government, scuppering the deal, a move that contributed to the resignation of Telkom group CEO Nombulelo Moholi.

City Press newspaper quotes three unnamed sources — two in the ANC and one in government — saying that Pule’s departure is “imminent” and that she will be replaced as communications minister by Zulu.

The newspaper says Zulu — a “rising star” — is a former ambassador to Brazil and Zuma’s international affairs adviser. “She was recently elected to the ANC’s national working committee and chairs the party’s communications subcommittee.”

In December, Pule was not reelected to the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) and, according to City Press, her “close association with former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa apparently means she is out of favour”. The fact that she was not reelected to the ANC may make her more dispensable.

If Zulu does take over the ministry from Pule, she will be the fifth communications minister in four years. Since the death of Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri in April 2009, Siphiwe Nyanda, Roy Padayachie and Pule have held the position.  — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media

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  • Huis

    This department needs a technocrats to head it to greener pastures Not some some ex social worker # international relation adviser.The governments needs to see the strategic importance of this department for the future technological and social, economic development of this country.Countries like Kenya are already on their way to overtaking us in techno development… Someone will still need to explain what is spectrum…

  • Greg Mahlknecht

    Agreed. This appointment would be a disaster. Might as well keep Pule in office than put in another struggle buddy with no clue about technology. At this point, the only acceptable candidate should have decades of successful telecoms industry experience, so they don’t have to dilly dally for months or years before taking (usually the wrong) decision. The digital TV decision should have taken a few weeks, rubber-stamping reference implementations of known good and widely used technologies, not years and years!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Paul-Jaco-Slabbert/100000253739401 Paul-Jaco Slabbert

    3 blind mice

  • Davebee

    The Lord preserve the country from this TRANSFORMATION cadreism!
    The only way out of the current unholy mess we are in is for Zuma and his entire kitchen cabinet of Trough Toffs to resign and be replaced by a cabinet of non-cadre technical managers to run the place.

    Until then there will be this creeping jobs for the Boyz and Galz leading to further entrenched incompetence/corruption.

  • John Mitchell

    She should go to jail! Don’t just fire her! They deserve to be treated like the criminals that she and her boyfriend are! Mr President, what kind of message are you sending here, that its OK to commit fraud?

  • Chris

    2015, no, we might see it in 2018 if we are lucky!

  • http://www.facebook.com/dave.adams.7771 Dave Adams

    she is just another gravy train specialist………..

  • Chris Roper

    “a former ambassador to Brazil” …. I hope we are not about to reopen the standards debate in favor of buying the Brazilian system. That took years last time before anyone came to their senses.

  • http://www.jorencommunications.co.za/ Rendani Nevhulaudzi

    Newspapers are misleading.

  • http://www.jorencommunications.co.za/ Rendani Nevhulaudzi

    Until we united as South Africa, cadre deployment is not going anywhere. We still playing the blaming game. As a proud citizen of South Africa what are yo doing to change things? Are only blaming Zuma and his administration or you coming with solution that would lead the country forward. If you cant beat them, join them and make a difference instead of asking something that is impossible. Zuma is going no where and the ANC will be ruling 20 from now. So lets work together in strategies and stop dreaming about kitchens and Trough Toffs..

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