Faith Muthambi

Azwihangwisi Faith Muthambi is the former Minister of Public Service and Administration and former Minister of Communications of South Africa.[1]

The Honourable

Faith Muthambi

MP
Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services.
In office
31 March 2017 – 26 February 2018
PresidentJacob Zuma
Cyril Ramaphosa
Succeeded byAyanda Dlodlo
Minister of Communications
In office
26 May 2014 – 31 March 2017
PresidentJacob Zuma
DeputyStella Ndabeni-Abrahams
Preceded byYunus Carrim
Succeeded byAyanda Dlodlo
Personal details
Political partyAfrican National Congress

Muthambi held a number of positions prior to her appointment to President Jacob Zuma's cabinet in 2014:

  • Member and activist of SANSCO (1989-1990);
  • Tshimbupfe ANC Youth League branch Secretary (1991-1992);
  • Executive Committee member of Tshimbupfe ANC branch (1992-1993);
  • Deputy Secretary of the Vuwani Zone (1993-1999);
  • Regional Executive Committee member of the Vhembe ANC Youth League (2003-2005);
  • Provincial Treasurer of the ANC Youth League in Limpopo (2005-2008);
  • Member of the Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC Women's League branch in Limpopo (2008-to-date);
  • Regional Executive Member of the ANC Vhembe region (2006-to-date);
  • Member of the National Assembly and the Pan African Parliament (April 2009 – Present); and
  • ANC Whip on the Communication Portfolio Committee.

She was one of the seven ANC MPs who were nominated for the ad hoc committee to consider President Jacob Zuma‘s submissions on the public protector’s report on his Nkandla home.[2]

Muthambi holds a B Proc from the University of Venda (1993-1996), and various other certifications and qualifications from UPTA, Wits Business School and UNIVEN.[3]

An ad hoc Parliamentary committee found Muthambi "incompetent" and guilty of misleading parliament, which is a criminal offence. She also failed to attend a meeting where she was supposed to explain the R300,000 she spent on transport costs for friends and family to watch her deliver a speech. .[4] She has also failed to attend a meeting in order to account for her personal staff of 27 (many of whom are the children of friends of hers), when the ministerial handbook limits this figure to 10.[5]

As a result of the Public Protector’s findings of abuses of power, fraud and maladministration against Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the Western Cape High Court concluded that Muthambi had acted irrationally and unlawfully by appointing Motsoeneng as Chief Operating Officer of the SABC.[6][7]

Treason and corruption charges 2017

In 2017 Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) laid charges of treason and corruption against Muthambi over claims that the then Minister of Communications deliberately shared three confidential Cabinet memoranda about executive policy and the scope of her ministerial powers through emails with Tony Gupta, Duduzane Zuma and Sahara’s CEO Ashu Chawla in July 2014. This was shortly after former president Jacob Zuma appointed her communications minister.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Criminal charges 2019

Following the release of the report of the commission of inquiry into editorial interference at the SABC in 2016, the Democratic Alliance opened a criminal case against Muthambi for misleading parliament, which is in direct contravention of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, which establishes the SABC as an independent institution.

The commission of inquiry found that Muthambi (along with two others named in the final report) abused her power to get coverage of specific stories concerning her private interests, and interfered on several occasions in editorial decisions at the state broadcaster during her time as Communications Minister.

As a result Muthambi could be dismissed as a member of parliament. [16][17][18][19]

References
  1. "Who is Faith Muthambi?". mybroadband.co.za. 2014-05-26. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
  2. Muller, Rudolph. "Who is Faith Muthambi?". Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  3. Muller, Rudolph. "Who is Faith Muthambi?". Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  4. Gerber, Jan (21 August 2017). "'Incompetent' Faith Muthambi 'tried to mislead Parliament'". Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  5. Gerber, Jan (22 August 2017). "Another week without Faith in Parliament". Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  6. "Outa lays treason charges against Minister Muthambi". enca.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  7. "OUTA lays treason charges against Faith Muthambi". news24.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  8. "Outa lays treason charges against Faith Muthambi". techcentral.co.za. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  9. "Muthambi faces treason charges over Guptas". iol.co.za. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  10. "Charges of treason laid against Minister Faith Muthambi". Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  11. "Hawks confirm it is investigating treason charges against Muthambi and Zwane". thesouthafrican.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  12. "OUTA lays treason charges against Faith Muthambi". news24.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  13. "Outa lays treason charges against Faith Muthambi". enca.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  14. "Outa lays treason charges against Faith Muthambi". mg.co.za. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  15. "Gupta lackey Faith Muthambi faces treason charge courtesy of OUTA". biznews.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  16. "DA opens criminal case against Muthambi, says she 'misled' Parliament". news24.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  17. "Faith Muthambi to face criminal charges after SABC probe: Everything you need to know". timeslive.co.za. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  18. "Muthambi on SABC report: Thloloe and Tawana 'failed the commission'". news24.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  19. "Ex-minister Faith Muthambi may be fired as MP". citizen.co.za. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
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