IT was only a matter of time before President Jacob Zuma showed Dina Pule the door following a tumultuous 20 months as the minister of communications.
Her ousting may come as a relief for the communications industry, which has mostly been hamstrung by delays in policy roll-outs and the general ineffectiveness of the Department of Communications.
She is replaced by Yunus Carrim, the former deputy minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs, who becomes the fourth communications minister in Zuma’s fourth cabinet reshuffle, ahead of upcoming elections.
Pule succeeded the (late) Roy Padayachie in November 2011. Padayachie replaced Siphiwe Nyanda in 2010.
Carrim holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours and Master’s in sociology from the University of Warwick and an international diploma in journalism from the Darlington College of Technology in England.
He has no known experience in information communications technology.
Pressure has been mounting for Zuma to fire Pule, who was not re-elected to the national executive committee at the ANC election conference in Mangaung last year, over allegations of misuse of funds and power during her tenure.
The allegations were carried in stories by the Sunday Times over the past 12 months that place Pule at the centre of a web of corruption, lies and nepotism involving individuals close to her, including some department officials.
Pule was the subject of investigations by Parliament’s committee on ethics and members’ interests and the public protector.
Parliament is expected to publish its report in August.
“Her rebuttals have not been convincing at all. The court of public opinion has found her guilty already,” Arthur Goldstuck, an industry analyst, said yesterday, adding that the new minister would have to surround himself with a strong technical team to succeed in his new job.
Zuma also replaced Tokyo Sexwale with Connie September as human settlements minister and swapped the portfolios of Transport Minister Ben Martins and Energy Minister Dipuo Peters.
Lechesa Tsenoli, the deputy land reform minister, has replaced Richard Baloyi as co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister.
Lynn McGregor, a public sector analyst, said Martins was a “highly thoughtful, senior and experienced minister” as well as an experienced negotiator.
“He is highly aware of the importance of balancing a number of things,” McGregor added.