Michalakis said the request was prompted by Pule’s previous conduct in public office, noting that she was found guilty by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests in 2013.
At the time, she had failed to declare the financial interests of her lover, Phosane Mngqibisa, and lied about their relationship, which allowed him to benefit financially.
He also referred to findings by the Public Protector relating to the ICT Indaba during Pule’s tenure as Minister of Communications.
Michalakis added that the Public Protector also found that “when confronted with conflicts of interest between the department and Mr Mngqibisa, Minister Pule chose to further Mr Mngqibisa’s interests. His company unduly benefited from the ICT Indaba because of Minister Pule’s influence”.
The Public Protector found that a R10 million payment was not in accordance with Treasury Regulation 21 and was thus unlawful, improper maladministration. Meanwhile, R6-million of that amount was unlawfully transferred to Mngqibisa’s personal bank account.
Michalakis further said the Public Protector found that Pule had misrepresented her relationship with Mngqibisa, allowing him to benefit from spousal privileges, and had attempted to blame departmental staff for conduct that was “unethical and unlawful.”
Findings justify enhanced oversight
The DA believes these findings justify enhanced oversight of Pule in her new role.
“Given this troubling history and how the Department of Social Development have been abused by its former ministers, we believe that a lifestyle audit would be prudent at this stage, and that subsequent audits are done as a monitoring tool,” Michalakis wrote.
He said the audit would establish a financial baseline to monitor the minister’s conduct throughout her tenure.
“Minister Pule must not be tempted to repeat past behaviours so egregious that she got removed, and an audit to serve as a baseline against which to measure and monitor her would help ensure the proper use of state funds,” he wrote.
Michalakis also emphasised the importance of accountability in a department that supports millions of South Africans.
“We trust that you will see the benefit of this, especially given the fact that at least 26 million vulnerable South Africans are dependent on this Department for their survival each month,” he said.
This comes amid growing backlash surrounding Pule’s appointment to the National Executive due to her scandalous past.
- The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested an immediate lifestyle audit of newly appointed Minister of Social Development Dina Pule due to her past ethical violations.
- Pule was previously found guilty by Parliament in 2013 for not declaring her lover’s financial interests and lying about their relationship, which enabled his financial gain.
- The Public Protector found that Pule allowed her lover’s company to improperly benefit from the ICT Indaba, with unlawful payments totaling R10 million, including R6 million transferred illegally to his account.
- The DA argues that an audit is necessary to establish a financial baseline and monitor Pule’s conduct, preventing repetition of past unethical behavior in her current role.
- Pule’s appointment has sparked backlash given her scandalous history, as she replaces former minister Sisisi Tolashe following President Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle.
Michalakis said the request was prompted by Pule's previous conduct in public office, noting that she was found guilty by Parliament's Joint Committee on
At the time, she had failed to declare the financial interests of her lover, Phosane
He also referred to findings by the Public Protector relating to the ICT
Michalakis added that the Public Protector also found that "when confronted with conflicts of interest between the department and Mr
Michalakis further said the Public Protector found that Pule had misrepresented her relationship with
"Given this troubling history and how the Department of Social Development have been abused by its former ministers, we believe that a lifestyle audit would be prudent at this stage, and that subsequent audits are done as a monitoring tool," Michalakis wrote.
He said the audit would establish a financial baseline to monitor the minister's conduct throughout her tenure.
"Minister Pule must not be tempted to repeat past behaviours so egregious that she got removed, and an audit to serve as a baseline against which to measure and monitor her would help ensure the proper use of state funds," he wrote.
Michalakis also emphasised the importance of accountability in a department that supports millions of
"We trust that you will see the benefit of this, especially given the fact that at least 26 million vulnerable
