Decency eludes Pule and the ANC

Dina Pule is a disgrace. Despite overwhelming evidence of impropriety, she has expended a lot of energy and time defending the indefensible.

Instead of bowing her head in shame, she dressed to the nines and brazenly feigned ignorance while pointing the finger at imaginary dark forces and enemies. This week, parliament found her guilty of "wilfully misleading" MPs and, by extension, the public - the very people she has been elected (or deployed) to represent.

After close to two years of her denials, parliament's ethics committee confirmed the reports of the Sunday Times and found that Phosane Mngqibisa was the former minister's "de facto permanent companion or spouse", a relationship dating to 2009 when she was still deputy minister in the presidency.

But Pule insisted he was just a comrade - and what "uncomradely" shenanigans they got up to.

Mngqibisa, through this relationship, obtained government funding for trips abroad and took part in official meetings of the Department of Communications despite not being its employee. He also enjoyed financial benefits from the department as a result of this relationship, and Pule did not declare these benefits.

The most damning findings were that she not only misled the ethics committee, but she never admitted any wrongdoing. And several officials from her department might have committed perjury in their evidence.

Therein lies the problem. How could individuals jettison their own values and their sense of right and wrong to cover up such rotten behaviour? How could they agree to put an individual before their own country?

Because this is about the country. When public officials deem themselves to be so powerful and entitled to public funds, it is South Africa that suffers.

The short-sightedness of those who aided and abetted this unconscionable plunder is heartbreaking. Some were all over the print and broadcast media, frothing at the mouth, sharpening their pens in defence of a highly compromised minister.

So the question is what is going to happen to her? She has already been "relieved of her duties" by President Jacob Zuma, but she remains a deployed MP who will draw a salary and all the perks that come with her position. And when the president released her from the cabinet, we read between the lines and deduced that it was because of her conduct.

What a lost opportunity to unequivocally condemn this behaviour. Ministers who have violated their oaths, like Pule and others before her, should not be allowed to walk away with a semblance of dignity.

It would send a stronger message if the president boldly stated that they are being "released" because they had not lived up to their promise to serve the public and uphold our sacred constitution. Perhaps Zuma is constrained by the dark clouds of Nkandlagate, the arms deal and Guptagate hovering over him.

Pule gets to keep her job, will be on suspension for 15 days, will receive a public reprimand and forfeit a month's salary. I don't think anyone who wears Christian Louboutins and has a loaded "comrade" will lose any sleep over a month's salary. This is a slap on the wrist, but it is the harshest sentence that parliament can impose. Other organs of state and agencies must now take the matter further.

If Pule had a modicum of decency, she would voluntarily step down. But that is the problem with people who have no scruples - they are able to carry on as if nothing has happened. But why should she step down when her own party does not seem keen to dismiss her? The ANC claimed it would "never condone any act of indiscipline, misconduct and impropriety".

But it also said: "We commend the former minister for subjecting herself to the authority of the committee and using the opportunity to present her side of the story."

How charitable! How shameful!