Opposition parties are calling for disgraced former communications minister Dina Pule's immediate dismissal from Parliament, after reports surfaced yesterday that she is linked to an alleged assassination attempt.
The Sunday Times reported that a man was hired by Pule's partner, Phosane Mngqibisa, to murder chairman of the parliamentary ethics committee, Ben Turok, and registrar of members' interests, Fazela Mohamed. The two were part of the team investigating Pule.
The paper quotes the would-be assassin as saying: "The hit to kill Ben Turok was issued to me as a specialist consultant. I was to recruit a hit man for the job. All plans were disturbed by the Cabinet reshuffle that was made by the president..."
Last week, Pule was found guilty of lying to Parliament and had the highest sanctions levelled at her after the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests ruled she allowed her "companion" Phosane Mngqibisa to gain financially through their relationship and that Pule had failed to disclose the liaison.
Outrage
Democratic Alliance chief whip Watty Watson has called on ANC chief whip Stone Sizani to immediately suspend Pule "subject to the outcome of an investigation into allegations that she is threatening the safety of other MPs and parliamentary personnel".
Watson says should Pule not be immediately suspended, the DA will push for her suspension at the next chief whips' forum on Thursday.
Freedom Front Plus chief whip Corn'e Mulder says the party also calls for Pule's immediate suspension from Parliament pending the investigation. "If these allegations turn out to be true, it will give a whole new meaning to the word 'corruption' in this country - that a political role player will go to such a extremes to cover their tracks," Mulder told ITWeb this morning. He notes that whether the assassination allegations are true or not, the penalties handed down to Pule by the parliamentary ethics committee are inadequate.
Sizane has expressed his serious concern regarding the allegations against Pule. "We don't take lightly these threats as they are not common by any stretch of the imagination," he says. "Both Turok and Mohamed were part of a collective assigned to probe the allegations on behalf of Parliament of [SA]. Any threat directed at them cannot simply be taken as a common act of intimidation against them as individuals, but an attack on the institution of Parliament and the people of SA."
Congress of the People spokesperson Juli Kilian reportedly says Pule has lost all credibility and even if she claimed not to have been involved in the assassination plot, she cannot be believed.
The South African Police Service is conducting a probe into the allegations, and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is reportedly also speeding up her own investigation against Pule.
ANC national spokesperson Jackson Mthembu says the party condemns the death threats against Turok and Mohamed, and "should any of those behind the threats be found to be ANC members, the organisation will not hesitate to take stern action against them as we regard such conduct to be un-ANC".
More allegations
The Pule plot continues to thicken, with Beeld newspaper this morning reporting it is also being alleged that Turok and Mohamed's food was to be poisoned.
The newspaper says that according to two independent sources, Turok and Mohamed did not eat any of the food prepared for them during committee meetings due to indications of an alleged attempt to have them poisoned.
When Pule was contacted for comment on the poison allegations, she apparently responded by saying, "Oh dear, has it already gone that far?"
Pule received sanctions including a fine equivalent to 30 days' salary, and a suspension of privileges for 15 days, as well as exclusion from any Parliamentary debates and committees for this period.
The police investigation is ongoing.
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