By Staff Writer
Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi could face a charge of contempt and abuse of parliamentary privilege, according to The Sunday Times report.
The newspaper report that Muthambi was identified as one of the witnesses who misled a parliamentary probe into the affairs of the SABC.
The former SABC board chairmen Ben Ngubane and Mbulaheni Maguvhe have also been identified as witnesses who may have deliberately misled the parliamentary probe.
The contempt and abuse of parliamentary privilege is punishable by a fine or a prison term not exceeding 12 months or both.
Other people who are said to have misled parliament include former SABC senior executives, chief financial officer James Aguma and company secretary Theresa Geldenhuys.
Treason Charges Filed Against Ex-Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) announced on July 17 that it laid charges of treason against former Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi.
Charges were laid at the Brixton police station in Johannesburg.
In 2015, the Western Cape High Court found that Muthambi acted irrationally and unlawfully in her appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as Chief Operating Officer of the SABC because of the Public Protector’s findings against him of abuses of power, fraud, and maladministration.
OUTA said Muthambi’s abuse of power led to the SABC’s current financial crisis, plunging it into billions of rands in debt.
The #GuptaLeaks emails reveal further evidence of disgraceful and illegal behaviour by Muthambi.
“Faith Muthambi knowingly and deliberately shared three confidential Cabinet memoranda, through emails with Tony Gupta, Duduzane Zuma and Sahara’s CEO Ashu Chawla. These people should never have been privy to any ministerial communication and policy discussions,” says Msibi.
She appointed Motsoeneng, who was instrumental in funding the ANN7 Breakfast Show, although ANN7 is a competitor to SABC and for which the SABC paid R43 million to Infinity Media, a company affiliated to Duduzane Zuma and the Guptas.
OUTA said a series of emails which Muthambi sent to Tony Gupta on matters of executive policy and the scope of her ministerial powers is alarming.
