Muthambi’s R1.6 million irregular spend on The New Age: report

Communications minister Faith Muthambi went behind the back of the agency responsible for the government’s advertising and spent R1.6 million on an ad spread in a single edition of The New Age.

This is according to a report in the City Press.

According to the City Press, Muthambi took out an eight-page spread which featured the Free State government in a January edition of The New Age.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) – which is responsible for the government’s advertising – did not know the adverts were going to be run.

“It took us by surprise. We saw the adverts in the paper, but nobody authorised them. The minister and her people went behind our back,” a GCIS official told the City Press.

“We are writing to National Treasury to say they should declare this expenditure irregular.”

The report states that the claims of irregular expenditure come at a time when relations between Muthambi and the GCIS are strained.

Muthambi previously tried to close the GCIS, which has subsequently been made a separate entity from the department of communications.

The minister also tried to strip three deputy directors-generals from the GCIS of their powers, but failed after the trio fought back, stated the newspaper.

In January 2015 news emerged that the Department of Communications spent over R10 million on advertising in The New Age this past financial year.

The DA said the amount was “skewed” compared to what was spent on other local newspapers.

The full report is available in the City Press of 1 March 2015

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