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Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams announced on Friday that she would voluntarily submit to the ANC’s integrity commission.
According to a statement from his ministerial spokesman, Mish Molakeng, his decision followed “the publication of a series of speculative reports in the media in recent weeks alleging possible business deals, by senior officials, in state entities under his wallet and members of his family ”.
According to the statement, Ndabeni-Abrahams, in recent meetings with senior executives and board members of state entities in his portfolio, emphasized the call for public servants to stop doing business with the state.
He also encouraged his department officials and senior executives of the entities under his portfolio to do the following: Report corrupt activities to law enforcement agencies without fear or favor; Institute disciplinary measures against officials or employees who are doing business with the state; and take appropriate action against anyone seeking to use family members to access business opportunities in the entities in your portfolio.
“I have emphasized to my department, and to all the officials of the public entities that are under my portfolio, that we must be determined in the eradication of corruption and lead by example in the fight against impropriety in the entities we supervise”, Ndabeni-Abrahams said, according to the statement.
He said that in a show of commitment to stamping out corruption in his department and protecting the integrity of his office, and in line with the example already set by President Cyril Ramaphosa, he had also voluntarily submitted to the ANC’s integrity commission to address allegations. of impropriety that he had targeted his office.
Transactions
Various media reports alleged that Ndabeni-Abrahams’ husband, Thato Abrahams, had business dealings in the sector under the purview of Ndabeni-Abrahams and this had influenced his dealings with entities, in particular the South African Post Office.
In response to these articles, Ndabeni-Abrahams said: “The media is an important democratic institution for holding public officials accountable and must be respected. We were hopeful that our responses, which are always open and transparent, to questions from the media, would be sufficient to address any public concerns on these matters and inform the public of the veracity of the matters reported.
“Unfortunately, that has not always been the case,” he said.
She said she remained committed to eradicating corruption in her department and to performing her duties with transparency and responsibility.
Two weeks ago, Ndabeni-Abrahams was brought before the ANC subcommittee on communications, where she was instructed to obey Parliament regarding the appointment of councilors to the council of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa). Then she capitulated.
The Icasa affair was not the only controversy in which he was involved.
In recent months, he sparked controversy by challenging lockdown regulations; her relationship with the South African Post Board and SABC, and her husband’s business dealings.
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