Former Cabinet spokeswoman Phumla Williams on Sunday declined to comment on a report that she had been demoted and replaced by a junior employee at the communications department.<\/p>\n
“All I will say is I am no longer the Cabinet spokesperson and the government communications spokesperson,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I’m not commenting on the report.”<\/p>\n
Williams, however, would still be working in the department.<\/p>\n
City Press reported that Communications Minister Faith Muthambi had sent Williams — who had been acting Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) head since Jimmy Manyi left two years ago — an e-mail informing her she was relieving her of those duties.<\/p>\n
Unnamed sources in GCIS reportedly told the paper that staff were shocked when Muthambi appointed Donald Liphoko, a chief director in the department, as acting director general, in effect making him Williams’s boss.<\/p>\n
“We couldn’t believe that she chose Donald. The man can hardly cope with his duties as it is and now she is making him acting DG,” a senior manager in the department told the paper.<\/p>\n
GCIS ceased to exist at the beginning of this month after its functions were absorbed into the communications department.<\/p>\n
Muthambi reportedly defended her decision regarding Williams.<\/p>\n
Ayanda Holo, head of stakeholder relations in the department, said Williams would be sent to help Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe with the inter-ministerial committee tasked with repositioning Brand SA, which now falls under the department.<\/p>\n
Four Icasa councillors out: regulator responds<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n