Johannesburg - The DA on Friday called for the immediate suspension of the chairperson of the Media Development and Diversity Agency Phelisa Nkomo.
This as the party claims to have proof of Nkomo's alleged misconduct, a claim recently dismissed as a rumour by Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo.
Media reports have quoted Dlodlo as admitting that it was "common knowledge" that there were problems with the agency's board.
According to Timeslive, Dlodlo told reporters that while this was true, these would not bring down the agency.
Dlodlo also said that she would not take disciplinary action against Nkomo based on rumours and without giving her an opportunity to respond to allegations levelled against her.
The DA shadow minister for Communications Veronica Van Dyk said she had obtained proof of Nkomo's misconduct, which was contained in a 2016 report.
"Following a PAIA application submitted by the DA, a report detailing alleged gross mismanagement and abuse of power at the MDDA has finally been released. The report was finalised in November 2016 and handed over to Dlodlo in April.
"The minister had been sitting on the report for almost six months, and the chairperson is heavily implicated for her alleged misconduct."
Van Dyk claims the report revealed that “Nkomo, [as] the chairperson received payments totalling to R235 304.04 including board fees and other expenses over a period of 12 months, from January 2015 to December 2015. It should be noted that the board fee is about R2 200 per meeting”.
Furthermore, "the investing team on random check found an exorbitant fee to the tune of R95 266.34 for minute taking” and that "the minutes of board meetings were not signed by the chairperson”, which in contravention of the MDDA Act, but “also undermine the authenticity of the minutes and the decisions contained therein”.
She called on Dlodlo to act on these revelations and ensure that disciplinary proceedings are instituted against the Nkomo immediately.
"This as the report found that Nkomo failed to provide leadership and stabilise the organisation and that [some] lapses in Governance that directly implicate the chairperson include: Fruitless and wasteful expenditure, contravention of the act, dishonesty of the chairperson and negligence in the use of public funds.”