Donwald Pressly and Asha Speckman
Industry players in the communications sphere have not only praised outgoing Communications Minister Roy Padayachie, but were optimistic that he was being succeeded by a competent replacement in Dina Pule, the former deputy minister in the presidency for performance monitoring, evaluation and administration.
Padayachie will now fill the post of Minister of Public Service and Administration, taking Richard Baloyi’s position. Baloyi replaces Sicelo Shiceka as Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Padayachie was the deputy minister of public administration before he replaced former defence force chief Simphiwe Nyanda as minister of communications.
Arthur Goldstuck, the managing director of technology research firm World Wide Worx, said Pule had a reputation for being “a no-nonsense person” but the test was whether she would be distracted by peripheral issues in the roll-out of major national projects, such as the imminent migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.
“Everyone is distracted by the sector transformation, but it seems to be a red herring bedevilling digital migration at the moment.”
Goldstuck said the timing of Padayachie’s departure was a blow for the long-term vision he had sketched for the industry although he had been seen as slow in executing it. “He had been in the industry so long. It is hard to crack the whip on your friends. That might have hamstrung him,” he said.
Karel Pienaar, the managing director of MTN South Africa, said: “MTN is confident that Minister Pule’s impeccable credentials… and her sterling work in the Office of the Presidency will be brought to bear on the Department of Communications. The onus is now on the working committees to work together in delivering the mandate of universal broadband penetration.”
Vodacom chief executive Pieter Uys thanked Padayachie and Deputy Minister Obed Bapela for “solid leadership of the Department of Communications over the last year”.
The relatively short cabinet careers of the outgoing ministers of public works and co-operative governance were ended by President Jacob Zuma yesterday in a move which represents a clean-up of ministries that have been dogged by public controversy.
Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, who landed in hot water over the multimillion-rand rentals of police buildings in Pretoria and Durban, was let go as was Shiceka, who ran up massive hotel bills and enjoyed an overseas holiday to visit a girlfriend at the expense of the state. He has been on sick leave for months while Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa was acting as minister.
While Zuma did not refer to the growing controversy surrounding Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson – who had R1.6 million in hotel bills for 174 days of the last two-and-a-half years in office – official opposition leader Helen Zille welcomed “the firm action taken” by the president in firing – as she put it – Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Shiceka.
Zuma thanked those he booted out for making a contribution “to a better life for all”. They are not likely to do so from the backbenches of Parliament, though Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Shiceka will remain MPs, for now.
Mahlangu-Nkabinde’s shoes are filled by Thulas Nxesi, the former deputy land affairs minister. SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande welcomed the appointment of “a comrade” to the cabinet. .
Zille said the public protector had urged the president to take strong action against those involved in the SAPS lease deals and Shiceka for his abuse of funds. Zille said: “We applaud the president for reaffirming his government’s commitment to the role of the public protector and other Chapter Nine institutions.”
Linked to the removal of Mahlangu-Nkabinde is the suspension of National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele.