SA's official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has called on president Jacob Zuma to rid his Cabinet of five ministers, including public service and administration minister Richard Baloyi and communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda.
DA Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip says Zuma's administration is “facing a crisis of accountability” after a year-and-a-half in office. Trollip has called on Zuma to axe the “weakest links”.
Top of the DA's list is Baloyi, who is in charge of the department that oversees the State IT Agency (SITA). He should be dismissed and the ministry's role should be reviewed, says Trollip.
Come clean
Trollip argues that Baloyi mishandled the recent public-sector strike. In addition, says the DA member, despite the fact that Baloyi plays a key role in task teams set to oversee public spending and wasteful expenditure, he has failed to make any reports public.
SITA recently came under fire from the auditor-general for not having adequate policies, procedures and systems in place to make sure it complies with laws, regulations and effective internal control.
According SITA's annual report, the agency incurred R215 million-worth of irregular expenditure last year, on top of R19 million highlighted in the 2008/9 financial year. However, Baloyi told delegates at this year's annual SITA GovTech conference that he had kept his promise to fix SITA.
Nyanda under fire
Trollip also wants Nyanda axed because his “ministerial tenure has been marred by poor performance and allegations of mismanagement and corruption and self-service”. Trollip argues that “under Nyanda, both the SABC and Sentech have floundered”.
The weakest links according to the DA:
Richard Baloyi: Public service and administration
Siphiwe Nyanda: Communication
Blade Nzimande: Higher education and training
Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya: Women, children and people with disabilities
Siyabonga Cwele: State security
This is the second time in two weeks that the DA has called for Nyanda to be removed from his post. Last week, DA shadow communications minister Natasha Michael said Nyanda should be removed if Cabinet is reshuffled, and he should account to the public for the mismanagement at the department.
Trade union Solidarity also previously called for Nyanda to be axed, because of his links to General Nyanda Security Risk Advisory Services, since renamed Abalozi Security. The security company had been awarded several contracts that have since been canned because of irregularities.
Department of Public Service and Administration spokesman Dumisani Nkwamba referred enquiries to government spokesperson Themba Maseko. Maseko says he has not seen the DA statement and will comment after he has located it. “I don't spend time looking for DA statements.”
The Department of Communications' chief director of communications Pearl Seopela was in a meeting and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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