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The IFP is calling on Minister Bathabile Dlamini and her spokesperson Ms Lumka Oliphant to stop misleading the public about the R500 000 in taxpayers’ money spent on a recent SABC advertorial for the embattled Minister of Social Development, and to simply admit that it was a failed effort to save the Minister's tarnished image.

We have been told that the now retired Head of Corporate Services of the Department of Social Development refused to approve the funds for the Anele Mdoda show and instead, Adv. Nkosinathi Dladla, who is acting in that position, was forced to clear the funds.

This clearly calls into question whether the R500 000 was truly part of a wider R5m media space buy package through GCIS, as Ms Oliphant now wants us to believe.

Moreover, the Minister has a long history of abusing public funds for personal purposes. Just a few years ago, SASSA money was directed to hire private security for her children and her spokesperson.

There have also been persistent allegations in the past of the misuse of blankets and food parcels for ANC campaign efforts, at the behest of Minister Dlamini. Her determination to cling onto CPS - a company with fake BEE credentials and an invalid, unlawful contract - also suggests that she might have personally benefitted from her relationship with CPS.

If Minister Dlamini can spend R500 000 of taxpayers’ money on an interview to profile herself without batting an eyelid, the question must be asked on what else is she misappropriating funds? It becomes clear now that Scopa will have a mammoth task ahead of it this year, to unearth answers to this question.

The IFP believes that Minister Dlamini should repay the R500 000 without any further delay. But since we know that the Minister sees all her wrongdoings as figments of the imagination of the media and the opposition, we will refer the matter to the Public Protector for further investigation and remedial action.

Issued by IFP