The NEPAD e-Africa Commission is not an NGO but an inter-governmental body. It was adopted by the NEPAD Heads of State and Government (HSGIC) as the NEPAD ICT Task team. The Commissioners are Ministers of ICTs and the Executive Committee, which meets regularly, receives reports and approves programmes, and is made up of DGs of the HSGIC countries. The last meeting was in September 2009.

The NEPAD e-schools Business Plan referred to in the article was adopted at the NEPAD e-schools Stakeholder's Conference which was hosted by then Minister of Communications, the late Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri and took place at Emperor's Palace in April 2008. The conference was attended by Ministers of Education from other African Countries and addressed by then Minister of Education Ms Naledi Pandor and then Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. The conference discussed and adopted the Nepad e-schools Business Plan which was done by Ernst and Young.

South Africa is one of the phase-one countries in the NEPAD e-schools programme and has six rural schools that benefitted from this programme. The programme was launched in South Africa by then President Mbeki in Mpumalanga.

Secondments to NEPAD by government departments have been part of South african policy. Even to date there is staff at the NEPAD secretariat seconded from, for example, the Presidency.

Funding of the Commission has always been part of the Stratplan of the Department approved by Parliament and is consistent with the commitments of different countries to NEPAD. Reports on the work of the Commission have always been reflected in reports of the Department of Foreign Affairs in the NEPAD Section.

The Department of Communications, under my leadership, was consistently free of corruption, nepotism and fraud as was reflected in the clean audits it received every year. It also had one of the most comprehensive NEPAD as well as IBSA (India, Brazil South Africa) programmes

I cannot confirm amounts the Sunday Times article refers to as I would need to see the relevant documentation, but I can confirm that I never authorised any payment that was not properly processed. I am suprised that the DDG for Finance has not been asked.