Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi is expected to clear the air on malicious allegations levelled against her in the media space when she briefs the Portfolio Committee on the fourth quarter performance report on Tuesday.
The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation requested the Minister to present the department’s fourth quarter performance report for the 2016/17 financial year and the first quarter performance report of 2017/8 financial year.
However, Minister Muthambi is also expected to use the platform to break her silence on the malicious allegations levelled against her and the misleading media reports claiming that she used taxpayer’s money on trips for family and friends.
In recent weeks, certain media houses have been spreading and recycling the false narrative that Minister Muthambi hired family members without following processes, and that she flew 30 friends and family members to Cape Town for her budget speech.
Nthambeleni Gabara from the department’s communication unit said: “There is no doubt that Minister Muthambi who is known for setting the standard for sound financial governance which resulted in her two Departments receiving clean audit reports since 2014 while she was Communications Minister will firmly set the record straight on these allegations.
“We are living in the era of fake news, so the Minister will clear the air about the misleading media reports in order for South Africans to learn not to receive information at a face value even if such information is coming from media houses that are supposedly reputable”.
The office of the Auditor-General has commended the Department of Communications, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and Brand South Africa (Brand SA) for obtaining clean audits for the financial year that ended in March 2016.
“It is worrying that no one in the media space is talking about this good work that Minister Muthambi has done,” Gabara said. – SAnews.gov.za
