Communications minister Dina Pule "looks set to be booted from cabinet soon", reports the Sunday Independent this morning.
It is understood Pule recently met with President Jacob Zuma, writes Karima Brown in the paper's lead. She has reportedly asked to be redeployed as an ambassador when it became clear she was about to be fired.
Pule's replacement would be the fourth communications minister in four years. She took over from Roy Padayachee in October 2011 after he was moved to the Department of Public Service and Administration. Padayachee became communications minister in November 2010, taking over from Siphiwe Nyanda who was removed from the post after a Cabinet shuffle.
"It is understood that Lindiwe Zulu, Zuma's adviser on International relations, will possibly take over from Pule," the paper says.
Zulu has been elected by the ANC's national executive committee to head up its communications sub-committee.
Other possible candidates include deputy communications minister Stella Ndabeni, deputy minister in the Presidency Obed Bapela (who was the deputy minister to late Padayachee when he served as communications minister), as well as Public Service and Administration minister, Lindiwe Sisulu.
Last month, the department's director-general, Rosey Sekese, was placed on special leave and deputy DG Gift Buthelezi was appointed as acting DG until 15 February. The move follows a finding by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications that Sekese lied to it when she provided misleading evidence about signing a performance agreement with the DOC.
Sekese was appointed by Padayachie in May 2011, after having previously worked in the department as deputy DG of ICT infrastructure development, from 2006 to 2011.
Share