So parliament’s ethics committee has finally ruled, finding that former communications minister Dina Pule is guilty of abusing her power and recommending that the maximum penalties allowed by the Joint Rules of Parliament be handed down.

The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members Interests found the former minister guilty of allowing her romantic partner, Phosane Mngqibisa, to benefit financially from his relationship with her. The committee also ruled that Pule had failed to declare her association with Mngqibisa, which she was obliged to do ni terms of Parliament’s ethics code.

The ruling further determined that Mngqibisa was indeed Pule’s “de facto permanent companion/spouse” and Pule was also found guilty of wilfully misleading the ethics committee panel and that she “failed to observe the requirements of the Code of Conduct, both in the letter and spirit of the code”.

In terms of the harshest penalties that could be handed down by the committee, Pule was slapped with a reprimand in the National Assembly, a fine equivalent to 30 days’ salary, and a suspension of privileges for 15 days and exclusion from any Parliamentary debates and committees for this period.

Pule is also required to amend her disclosure retrospectively to ensure that her interests are fully declared.

One would think that this would bring to an end the whole sorry and drawn-out saga of Pule’s reign as communications minister. But alas, the story continues, and the next latest twist seems could come straight out of a South American telenovela.

A few days after the ethics committee released its findings, a Sunday paper claimed in a front page article that a high-level probe by the South African Police Service is under way into allegations that Mngqibisa hired a hit man. The article stated that the alleged hit man was hired to murder committee chairman Ben Turok, as well as registrar of members’ interests Fazela Mohamed.

It was further reported that the man would be paid R400 000 for the job and was also asked to falsify documents for Mngqibisa that would counter the claims against him. In addition, an Afrikaans daily also got in on the act and reported – according to two “unrelated and reliable sources” – that Turok and Mohamed did not eat food that had been prepared for them during committee sessions, as there were signs that the food may have been poisoned.

Now, I realise that stranger things happen at sea, but seriously? Hit men, poisoned food? I understand that Pule may have been desperate to hold on to a month’s salary, but this seems a little excessive. Even the cops have dismissed this as far-fetched.

And while tabloid journalism certainly sells newspapers, we still don’t have any idea what our current minister of communications is up to. Just saying…

Happy reading!

Martin Czernowalow