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The appointment of Dina Pule as minister of social development has triggered backlash, with the ANC Veterans League saying it is seeking answers from President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC leadership over why a politician previously removed from cabinet over ethics findings has been brought back into government.ANC Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala said the organisation was “not happy” with Pule’s appointment and questioned whether the ANC had no other capable and ethical leaders to fill the post.“We are still consulting the ANC, the secretary-general and the president just to get an explanation of why,” Zikalala said.He stressed that while the Veterans League could not instruct Ramaphosa to reverse the appointment, it was entitled to raise its concerns within the ANC.“The president does not answer to the Veterans League. We are consulting the ANC leadership because we want clarity on why this decision was taken,” he said.“A person cannot be punished forever, but this is a very crucial time where we have to regain society’s trust in the ANC.”The return of Pule to the cabinet has also been met with harsh criticism from opposition parties, civil society organisations and organised labour.Ramaphosa appointed Pule as minister of social development, replacing Sisisi Tolashe, in a move that has left many questioning the ANC’s commitment to ethical leadership.The Sunday Times revealed last month that the ANC Women’s League had lobbied Ramaphosa to appoint Pule to the social development portfolio after Tolashe was removed from cabinet.Pule was dismissed by former president Jacob Zuma as communications minister in 2013 after a string of scandals centred on allegations that she channelled contracts to her then-boyfriend, Phosane Mngqibisa, or his associates.At the time, the Sunday Times published a series of investigative reports exposing the alleged impropriety that ultimately led to her dismissal.Parliament’s ethics committee later found that Pule had misled Parliament by repeatedly denying her relationship with Mngqibisa and recommended that criminal charges be considered against her.The appointment has drawn criticism from Cosatu, one of the ANC’s alliance partners, which accused Ramaphosa of failing to consult alliance partners before reshuffling the executive and questioned Pule’s suitability for cabinet.“The appointment of the new minister for social development, Dina Pule, is extremely worrying given the dark cloud under which she was previously removed as a minister. Persons appointed to cabinet need to be of the highest integrity. Ms Pule was previously found badly wanting by scathing reports from the Public Protector and Parliament’s Ethics Committee,” said Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks.Placing an individual previously found guilty of compromising her oath of office in charge of the department of social development — which oversees life-saving social grants for millions of vulnerable citizens — is an insult to the poor.— Ahmed Kathrada Foundation“This appointment provides an unnecessary and unhelpful distraction to government’s efforts to cleanse itself after the devastating decade of state capture and corruption and to rebuild society’s trust in it.”The DA, a partner in the Government of National Unity, also condemned the appointment.DA social development spokesperson Nazley Sharif said the party was shocked that Ramaphosa had reinstated Pule despite the findings that led to her removal from cabinet in 2013.“The DA believes that social development is so crucial a portfolio, with such a significant budget, that it demands a minister of impeccable credentials — not one found to have previously betrayed her oath of office and to have brought Parliament into disrepute,” Sharif said.“It appears President Ramaphosa has chosen ANC Women’s League interests over the interests of millions who rely on social grants and need a reliable minister.”The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said recycling leaders tainted by serious allegations of misconduct undermined efforts to build a capable state.“Placing an individual previously found guilty of compromising her oath of office in charge of the department of social development — which oversees life-saving social grants for millions of vulnerable citizens — is an insult to the poor,” the foundation said.“This appointment signals that political expediency and factional trade-offs override ethical governance. It completely betrays the promise of renewal and constitutional integrity.”The ANC, however, defended the appointment.Acting ANC spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli welcomed Pule’s appointment and said the party was confident she would serve with “dedication and commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable in our society”.Pule was sworn in at the Union Buildings alongside new DA appointees, including David Maynier as minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, Yusuf Cassim as deputy minister of higher education and training, and Jack Bloom as deputy minister of water and sanitation. The swearing-in ceremony was overseen by Ramaphosa.
