Subscribe

No faith in Faith Muthambi

Martin Czernowalow
By Martin Czernowalow, Contributor.
Johannesburg, 15 Sept 2014
Faith Muthambi's suitability to the role of communications minister has come under scrutiny.
Faith Muthambi's suitability to the role of communications minister has come under scrutiny.

It appears government's propaganda machinery has hit a snag, with communications minister Faith Muthambi's first three months in office characterised by controversy and criticism from various quarters.

The Department of Communications (DOC), under Muthambi, was positioned as the ministry responsible for publicising information about government's work and boosting its brand. While Muthambi has attracted much publicity so far, little of it has been positive.

It is understood she raised the ire of fellow ANC members when she stood by the controversial appointment of SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng, whose original appointment, in an acting capacity, is the subject of a highly-critical report by the public protector.

Muthambi was recently slated by opposition MPs in Parliament for evading questions about Motsoeneng's permanent appointment, using the sub judice rule to sidestep the Communications Portfolio Committee's interrogation of the matter.

She has also been blamed for causing the latest delay in SA's plans to implement digital broadcasting migration by starting a turf war between the DOC and Siyabonga Cwele's Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS). Cwele earlier this year announced the digital migration policy would be gazetted by the end of July, but sources state Muthambi's insistence that her input be included meant the policy remains bogged down with Cabinet, and no new finalisation date has been announced.

Who's the boss?

President Jacob Zuma's split of the old Department of Communications, into two separate ministries, has created much confusion about which of the two departments would be responsible for which government agencies and policies.

Recently, both Cwele and Muthambi vowed publically to take digital television forward, and the migration process now seems to be a project run together by the DOC and the DTPS, and opposition politicians are struggling to get clarity.

Marian Shinn, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of telecommunications and postal services, says her efforts to establish which department should ultimately take responsibility for driving digital broadcasting migration have so far been in vain. "Last month, I wrote a letter to president Jacob Zuma, asking for clarity on this issue. But since then, we have heard nothing."

However, Shinn says digital migration should ultimately be Cwele's responsibility, adding Muthambi's interference in the process "shows her narrow view of digital terrestrial TV as no more than a platform for content delivery, and also highlights the ANC's confusion between ICT and communications in the broader sense".

Rabede steps in

It is also understood Muthambi's poor public speaking ability and nervousness in interviews has not gone down well with her ANC colleagues.

This has reportedly prompted minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe to move in on some of Muthambi's turf, indicating she is being side-lined. Radebe has, since last month, been leading weekly press conferences on Cabinet meetings - a function previously fulfilled by Muthambi.

According to the Mail & Guardian, Radebe was also recently appointed chairperson of the inter-ministerial committee on information and publicity. He said it was the first of a series of media briefings "where we will share with the media key developments in government and address issues in the public discourse".

Muthambi's spokesperson, Bongiwe Gambu, did not comment this morning, saying the DOC would release a statement shortly.

Share