Minister denies hiring friends and family as support staff

PUBLIC Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi has rubbished reports alleging she hired at least 27 people‚ some close friends and family‚ to her support staff.

The Sunday Times reported that Muthambi had hired some of the people without following prescribed processes or conducting interviews.

The report quoted a source as saying that every time Muthambi returned home to Limpopo province at weekends‚ a new person would be hired on Monday.

Her ministry rejected the report yesterday.

“The ministry would like to place on record that none of the support staff mentioned in the Sunday Times story are friends or relatives of the minister‚” it said.

“It is incorrect to suggest that the minister is not following Public Service prescripts with regard to appointment of support staff in accordance with the Public Service Act.

“The ministry finds the reports regrettable and believes that they are intended to tarnish the image of the minister and her office.”

Among the appointments the Sunday Times reported on was a food service aide.

The paper also said that Muthambi had attempted to silence it by threatening to lay a complaint with the Hawks after writing to the Tiso Blackstar Group and alleging that Sunday Times journalists were in possession of stolen documents containing personal information‚ including salary details of her staff.

The Sunday Times denied any wrongdoing by its journalists.