'Must pay for her absence'Faith

Minister of Public Service and Administration Faith Muthambi did not show up for a meeting where she had to account for the recent allegations of nepotism against her, and it is likely to cost her.

Furthermore, all the ANC MPs on the portfolio committee on public service and administration, bar Nyami Booi, boycotted the meeting as it is chaired by dissident ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza. After a short presentation by the department, Khoza asked how the committee wants to proceed in Muthambi and the director general’s absence.

Khoza confirmed that Muthambi said she will attend the meeting. Khoza also asked her to present a written submission on the allegations against her, but this was not submitted.

It now appears that Muthambi will have to pay out of her own pocket for the costs of the meeting she failed to attend, at which her alleged misuse of funds and nepotism were among the things to be discussed.

Furthermore, members of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, aggrieved by Muthambi's absence, decided to subpoena her to answer to the allegations against her.

Asked why Muthambi failed to attend, Department of Public Service and Administration spokesperson Dumisani Nkwamba said that "certain circumstances" prevented her from attending. He did not wish to clarify when asked what the circumstances were.

It was reported last month that Muthambi’s department spent R300 000 flying 30 people to Cape Town to watch her budget speech in Parliament in May. They reportedly included her son, sister, aunt, mother, former SABC board chairwoman Ellen Tshabalala and former SABC CEO Hlaudi Motsoeneng's daughter, whom she had hired to work for her.

Over the past weekend it was also reported that Muthambi had hired 27 people, including friends and family, to her support staff. Muthambi denies any wrongdoing.

Apart from Muthambi, her department’s director-general, Mashwahle Diphofa, also did not attend the meeting, while delegations from the National School of Governance and the Centre for Public Service Innovation, who were to make presentations, were also absent.

Diphofa will also be held responsible for costs.

The committee barely had a quorum since five ANC MPs boycotted its meeting because they refused to be chaired by the outspoken Zuma critic Khoza.