More are after Stella’s blood
The DA has added to the woes of communications minister Stella NdabeniAbrahams, asking parliament’s ethics committee to investigate her conduct.
This comes as police minister Bheki Cele said on Friday that investigators had contacted Ndabeni-Abrahams in connection with allegations that she may have breached national lockdown regulations when she visited a friend last Sunday.
A complaint against Ndabeni-Abrahams has also been made to the police by the EFF.
Ndabeni-Abrahams was put on a twomonth suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa after a photograph was made public of her and former deputy minister of higher education Mduduzi Manana having a meal with others at his home.
DA MP and shadow minister of communications Phumzile van Damme told the Sunday Times this week that the party would submit a complaint to parliament’s ethics committee about a violation of the executive ethics code of conduct.
She said the DA would argue that the minister violated sections of the code which relate to general standards. Those sections concern members of the executive performing their duties and exercising their powers diligently and honestly, fulfilling all the obligations imposed on them by the constitution and law, acting in good faith and in the best interests of good governance. The sections also require ministers to act in a manner consistent with the integrity of their office.
In her apology this week, NdabeniAbrahams admitted that she violated the government’s lockdown regulations when she visited Manana.
Manana resigned as a deputy minister in 2017 after assaulting a woman at a club. He was later convicted for the crime.
It was Manana who posted the photograph that landed NdabeniAbrahams in trouble. He later apologised — and claimed the minister had driven past his house to collect personal protection equipment for students.
Ndabeni-Abrahams gave the same explanation to Ramaphosa when they met this week.
Ramaphosa said he had been “unmoved” by her explanation and suspended Ndabeni-Abrahams for two months, one without pay. He also said that the law should take its course.