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By Mayibongwe Maqhina 
10h ago
Finance Minister Tito says Ranjeni Munusamy’s appointment is valid, but promises to fire her if she is found to have committed a crime.
Cape Town – Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has defended the appointment of former journalist Ranjeni Munusamy as his community outreach officer, saying it was done within the prescriptions of public service laws and regulations.
Mboweni said Munussamy possessed the necessary skills for the position he held.
Speaking during an oral question session on Wednesday in Parliament, Mboweni said Munusamy was highly qualified for the position and has extensive knowledge of politics.
He was responding to EFF head whip Floyd Shivambu, who asked oral questions weeks after Mboweni shared on Twitter a photo of ministry staff that contained Munusamy.
This sparked an uproar in particular from the EFF and the Prosecutor’s Office, who questioned the appointment as allegations were made in the Zondo Commission that Munusamy improperly benefited the funds from the criminal intelligence unit.
In his response, Mboweni said that Munusamy was appointed within public service laws and regulations to fill a position in his position without advertising.
“The person is responsible, among others, for the link with the minister’s constituency, in this case the office in Tzaneen, interacting with the communities about the services of the finance ministry.”
He also said that she was interacting with national and international stakeholders about his ministry’s services and supported him in public outreach programs.
But, EFF MP Ntombovuyo Mente maintained that the minister had not answered the main part of Shivambu’s initial question about Munusamy’s appointment when serious accusations were made against him.
“Are you saying that these accusations mean nothing? Are you saying that South Africans should be employed with questionable characters and what happens when the findings find them on the wrong side of the law,” he asked.
Mboweni mocked the argument made by Mente saying that if it was talking about indictments, many EFFs should not be in Parliament.
“If we work on that basis, various members of the EFF should not be in Parliament because there are accusations against them about VBS Bank.
“You have to be careful how you ask a question and deal with matters like this,” Mboweni said.
However, he said that he was aware that allegations were made against her and that he was satisfied with the facts before him and when he had asked questions about the allegations.
“If they were going to find her, in some way, for having committed bad deeds, obviously they would remove her from my office, but for now I have no reason not to work with her,” he said.
Mboweni would not be drawn to say what Munusamy had told him, saying he did not want to interfere with the commission.
“I don’t want to say anything that the commission may find interfered with her work. As I speak now, I am satisfied that she is truly qualified and is a good person to work in this capacity.”
The session generated some drama when NFP’s Munsoor Shaik-Emam said that the question was the most absurd coming from Shivambu, who was accused of looting funds from VBS Bank.
This upset the EFF MPs with Mente and Natasha Ntlangwini raising points of order and demanding that he stand down before he finished asking his question.
Shivambu entered the fray demanding Shaik-Emam’s withdrawal.
The chair of the session, Grace Boroto, warned Shaik-Emam and asked him to make a substantive motion against the EFF, which accused him of stealing money from his party.
Boroto stood firm and pointed out that Shivambu had made accusations against Shaik-Emam that warranted a substantive motion.
Political Bureau
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