President Cyril Ramaphosa has to be applauded for firing Sisisi Tolashe as social development minister. She was dismissed after months of controversy had piled up.
Among the many damning revelations was that she had defied a cabinet decision by appointing a director-general to a five-year term instead of the one-year term directed by the cabinet. She also hired an underqualified woman as her chief of staff.
It then emerged that Tolashe took two Chinese vehicles donated to the ANC Women’s League and registered them in her children’s names. These vehicles were not declared in parliament as benefits.
A month ago, it was revealed that Tolashe instructed a food aide to work at her private residence in the Eastern Cape. Once appointed, Tolashe unlawfully asked the aide to give half her state salary to the minister’s daughter.
Ramaphosa gave Tolashe a long rope to hang herself — she was asked to give reasons why she shouldn’t be dismissed.
The DA, the second-largest party in the government of national unity, laid criminal charges against Tolashe. As her misconduct continued, the party pressured Ramaphosa to act against the president of the ANC Women’s League.
Sensing Ramaphosa’s reluctance to fire an important ally, Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA’s new leader, wrote a letter to the president that was leaked. Hours later, Tolashe was gone.
Ramaphosa’s inaction opened him up to accusations that as the president’s political ally, Tolashe was protected game.
The DA needs to be commended for leaning on Ramaphosa. That’s what is expected of partners.
Losing her cabinet post should be a start, not the end of her sanction. Parliament still needs to deal with her through the ethics committee. And the ANC’s integrity commission should impose appropriate censure for bringing the party into disrepute.
Ramaphosa should consider further steps to communicate that he will no longer tolerate sleaze in his cabinet. For example, Tolashe shouldn’t be allowed to use state resources — such as state-funded lawyers — to defend herself against the criminal case instituted by the DA. That case shouldn’t be withdrawn now that she is no longer minister.
Ramaphosa should ask her to reimburse the aide for the monies that were illegally taken from her salary to help subsidise Tolashe’s daughter.
Her removal is an opportunity for Ramaphosa to assess his wider cabinet. He must ask himself whether it is still fit for the purpose of growing the economy and ending corruption.
He must confront difficult questions: chief among them the in limbo fate of Senzo Mchunu, the police minister. Since his suspension last year for alleged involvement with criminal syndicates, Mchunu has been drawing a state salary while sitting at home.
Ramaphosa has told parliament’s ad hoc committee on police corruption that he didn’t approve the disbandment of the political killings task team as suggested by Mchunu. This means Mchunu had misled parliament and misrepresented his interactions with Ramaphosa.
This is far more serious than Andrew Whitfield — the DA’s former deputy trade, industry & competition minister — leaving the country without Ramaphosa’s permission.
It took him months to remove Nobuhle Nkabane as higher education & training minister. This was despite growing evidence that she had lied to parliament, the public and, possibly, Ramaphosa himself about the composition of boards of the sector education & training authorities.
Ramaphosa shouldn’t squander this opportunity.
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