Pretoria – Allegations in The Sunday Times of extravagant spending by Communications Minister Dina Pule will not stick, the department said on Monday.

The newspaper was continuing to peddle slander and salacious rumours in what appeared to be a desperate attempt to convict Pule in the court of public opinion, said departmental spokesperson Wisani Ngobeni.

“We believe there is an attempt to convict the minister and the department in the court of public opinion. We must be careful as South Africans,” he said.

Ngobeni said the department was not aware of the documents published in The Sunday Times as proof of Pule’s alleged R700 000 travels to Mexico and New York with her boyfriend Phosane Mngqibisa, her personal assistant, and a deputy director general.

“We do not know the source of these documents and we do not have these documents on our records. We are unable to express a view on documents which we do not have knowledge of,” he said.

Under investigation

The Sunday Times was well aware that the department and Pule could not publicly respond to the allegations, because they were being investigated by Parliament’s ethics committee and the Public Protector.

The newspaper published what it claimed was a departmental travel form, on which Pule stated that Mngqibisa was travelling with her as a “companion”.

In March, The Sunday Times alleged that Mngqibisa organised the appointment of his relative, Lulama Makhoba, to the post of SABC CEO.

– SAPA