While ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula believes that the new minister of social development, Dina Pule, is a reformed woman, the DA believes a leopard never changes its spots.

Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Pule as the new minister for social development, replacing controversial former minister Sisisi Tolashe. This, despite Pule being fired for corruption, maladministration, and other scandals related to her time as the minister of communications in Zuma’s Cabinet.

The DA has now written to the Presidency demanding that she undergo a lifestyle audit.

‘She knows better’

Defending Ramaphosa’s decision, Mbalula told the media that the ANC has noted concerns around Pule’s appointment. But he said the ANC believes in second chances and that Pule has learnt from her mistakes.

“Our movement and our nation believe in redemption and in the capacity of a human being to be rebuilt and to rebuild…the ANC fully stands behind the person of Dina Pule and behind the president’s prerogative to constitute his executive… comrade Pule does not take this second chance lightly, she knows better than most that it carries a heavy price and a heavy responsibility,” said Mbalula.

No proof that Pule has changed

DA spokesperson on social development, Nazley Sharif, said on Monday that Pule still cannot be trusted even though her scandals broke out over a decade ago.

“The DA demands that upon her coming into office, a lifestyle audit must immediately be conducted. This will provide a baseline upon which her ministerial tenure may be measured.

“There is no reason or evidence to show that she will not do again what she did before, and to fiercely protect taxpayer money from Pule’s grasp, there must be a baseline audit that shows her current lifestyle, assets and finances,” she said.

“Dina Pule is utterly unfit to be a minister in Cabinet, based on her track record of unethical conduct, betraying her oath of office as minister, bringing Parliament into disrepute, misleading Parliament, maladministration, criminal investigations, improper benefits to her boyfriend, and R10-million in unlawful payments.

“The most serious part of her track record is that a scheme was devised and implemented for her boyfriend to benefit unlawfully from taxpayer money, to the tune of R6 million transferred into his own bank account,” said Sharif.

She emphasised that the responsibilities Pule now holds are critical to the country and need a credible person to be in charge.

“The DA will not relent on fighting for the beneficiaries of social assistance, who deserve a minister of impeccable credentials, not a minister who was fired by Jacob Zuma for being so bad that even he could not tolerate her any longer.

“President Ramaphosa’s selection of Dina Pule as the new minister of social development has been rejected by the DA, and we will not relent until there is accountability,” she said.