DA calls for probe into Muthambi ‘support staff’

ALLEGATIONS that Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi has hired 27 support staff in her office – in what seems to be a case of nepotism – must be investigated by parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests‚ the DA says.

DA deputy chief whip Mike Waters said reports yesterday claimed that Muthambi had allegedly appointed mostly uncles and cousins from her home province‚ Limpopo‚ as drivers‚ deputy directors‚ and a “food services aide” in her office without following due procedure.

“DA ethics [committee members] will now take up this matter when the committee meets [tomorrow].

“If these allegations are true‚ Minister Muthambi possibly breached the Ministerial Handbook‚” he said. He said Chapter 8 of the handbook clearly stated that a minister could appoint up to 10 individuals when establishing private offices.

Annexure F of the handbook stated that ministers could only appoint two full-time special advisers.

“Even more disturbing are the allegations that the minister allegedly stripped the director-general of public service, Mashwahle Diphofa‚ of his powers to appoint staff‚” Waters said.

“It is now becoming clear that Minister Muthambi is up to her old tricks again, bending the rules to give herself excessive power.

He said these allegations followed reports that she had allegedly paid nearly R500 000 in public money for her family to travel to Cape Town to watch her budget vote speech. –