Communications Minister Faith Muthambi on The Star article

19 February 2015

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi rejects an article published in The Star newspaper headlined: “Minister on the spot over her sweeping powers”

The article by Siyabonga Mkhwanazi in The Star newspapers and syndicated in other Independent title does not represent the facts and the discussions that unfolded in the Department’s briefing to Parliament on Tuesday.

This is disappointing as the journalist who penned the story is a seasoned member of the Press Gallery Association (PGA) who attends Portfolio Committees regularly.

Minister Muthambi did not attend the Presentation to Parliament and had sent an apology through the appropriate channels.  The Department updated Parliament on the progress made on its establishment and the implementation of the National Communication Strategy. 

The agenda of the meeting was agreed upon in advance through the committee’s deliberations as part of its oversight programme. Ignoring the agreed agenda and the content of the presentations from the department - the journalist produced a jaundiced article based on inaccurate newspaper reports of two weeks ago that the department responded to in detail then. 

An opposition member of the committee posed a question to the delegation based on this very same inaccurate article and the journalist covering the Tuesday’s committee shamelessly tried to parade this as plans by the Minister to “strip the SABC Board and its executive management of key decision making”.

It is unfortunate that the story concocted an alleged agreement by the Portfolio Committee to hold the minister to task on this issue. Nothing is further from the truth; the committee is supportive of the work of this Ministry and commended the department on its progress in the last three months.

To state that MPs were angered by her decision to strip the SABC Board and its executive management of key decision-making is further from the truth.  Minister Muthambi has taken no such decision and the impression is based on newspaper articles which are malicious and without any credibility.

For more information contact Minister’s spokesperson:
Ayanda Holo
Cell: 061 488 0634

Issued by: Ministry of Communications