The recent open letter by Mr Modidima Mannya, suspended Head of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, refers.
The questions in the letter relate to matters under the responsibility of the Premier of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize. The Minister of Transport, Sibusiso Ndebele, must respect the responsibilities in this regard and will liaise with the Premier in respect of the issues raised.
Mr Mannya failed to distinguish between the Office of the Premier and the person holding the office at the time.
Minister Ndebele cannot, therefore, as a matter of good governance, be involved in a public debate in a matter between Mr Mannya and the government of KwaZulu-Natal, and in which Mr Mannya may still bring action before the courts.
Evident from the contents of the letter, in which a wide range of issues have been raised and which contains much more conjecture than fact, is that Mr Mannya is creating adverse testimony against himself rather than raising constructive criticism against the government or office bearers.
Comments about the proposed Dubai development at Macambini in KwaZulu-Natal, for example, testifies to the fact that Mr Mannya failed to completely understand the role of the development process and institutions as well as his own responsibility, yet elects to make blatantly false defamatory statements against Minister Ndebele. The proposed Dubai development is currently being pursued by the government in KwaZulu-Natal and had the allegations been true, this development would have been abandoned.
To this end, Minister Ndebele is pursuing legal action against the false statements made by Mr Mannya as well as certain media houses, such as Ilanga Newspaper, for unethical reporting.
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 6444 050.
Issued by: Ministry of Transport
30 July 2009
