Speaker, as a rookie Minister, Minister Nyanda first drew attention for his flashy taste in motorcars. He has remained in the news ever since for all the wrong reasons: controversial tender practices, transgressing the Cabinet code of ethics, documented extravagant taste in hotel accommodation, and now the outrageously flashy offices, which cost the taxpayer millions of rands annually to house only 13 officials. Reports of his involvement in controversial appointments and the sacking of officials at Sentech and within his department continue to surface. There are also questionable procurement and tender practices involving his private business interests, whether direct or under the guise of a family trust. His personal auditors, Ntumba, have been awarded contracts under questionable, if not outright illegal, procurement processes within the Department of Communications and in Sentech.
Instead of giving visionary leadership to a department with the potential to boost national economic growth by at least one percent annually, he appears to be jumping from one entity to the other to interfere and allows himself to be dragged into factional boardroom politics by some of his friends deployed to those entities.
Recently, Minister Nyanda was also embroiled in a bitter row with the Director-General of the Department of Communications. Therefore, Cope calls on President Zuma to make Minister Nyanda the first example of his commitment to clean governance. We call on the President to fire Minister Nyanda. Thank you. [Applause.]