Poison Ivy an ‘unguided missile’
Dene Smuts, the official opposition party’s spokesperson on communications, sure knows how to get quoted. Witness:
[Minister of Communications Ivy] Matsepe-Casaburri is simply not implementing recommendations. She seems to act as a law unto herself and an unguided missile. I intend to ask the committee to attend to this. The department is expected to appear before us this month and I intend to use this as an opportunity to tackle the matter and take it forward.
This was in response to the minister’s reported statement that said a Public Service Commission report which found “sufficient evidence” of several irregularities in the appointment of staff in her department was “incorrect”, and that she would take no action on its recommendations. This report lends support to recent allegations about fraud and corruption in the hiring practices of the Department of Communications (DOC).
The most elegant solution to these problems would be to fire the minister — you could pick from a smorgasbord of reasons — and merge her portfolio with that of the Department of Trade and Industry. Then require all current employees of the DOC to re-apply for positions in the new department. Two birds, one stone.
