Minister asks Ramaphosa to remove DG or 'risk another Nkandla scandal'

Public works minister Thulas Nxesi has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the feud between him and director-general Sam Vukela, amid warnings that keeping Vukela in the post could “return the department to the days of the Nkandla scandal”.

Nxesi wrote to Ramaphosa last month, asking him to “redeploy” Vukela because he was “insubordinate and a liar”.

Nxesi said Vukela had defied him on a range of issues, including the submission of reports to parliament.

“It is therefore my conclusion that I will not be able to achieve any progress with the same DG and have lost trust in him,” the letter reads.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, confirmed that the president had received the letter and said he was “applying his mind” to it.

But Vukela has hit back, saying Nxesi was the one lying to the president as Nxesi wanted Vukela out because Vukela had refused to hire Nxesi’s friend.

Read the full story in the Sunday Times.