Public service and administration minister Faith Muthambi will face Parliament on Tuesday, where she is likely to be grilled on allegations of nepotism and that she used departmental money on trips for her family, the Business Day reported on Monday.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, outspoken ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza has reportedly summoned Muthambi to Parliament to account for allegations of nepotism.
It is alleged that Muthambi hired family members as part of her support staff, and that she spent R300 000 on a trip for 30 friends and family to Cape Town for her budget speech, The Sunday Times reported.
Muthambi will also reportedly have to explain herself to Parliament's joint committee on ethics and members' interests, which also meets on Tuesday.
According to TimesLive, the DA says Muthambi is in breach of the ministerial handbook rules, if the allegations are true.
It is further alleged that she appointed her uncles and cousins as support staff, drivers and deputy directors, in her office without following proper procedures, bringing the number of support staff in her office to 27.
The DA's Mike Waters said the handbook states that a minister can only appoint up to 10 people when establishing "private offices", and only two full-time special advisors.
"Even more disturbing‚ are the allegations that the Minister allegedly stripped the Director-General of the Department of Public Service and Administration‚ Mashwahle Diphofa‚ of his powers to appoint staff, Waters is quoted as saying.
"It is now becoming clear that Minister Muthambi is up to her old tricks again and that she bending the rules to give herself excessive power to do as she pleases.
"This‚ despite the fact that she is the Minister of the department which is responsible for administering norms in the public sector and ensuring the ethical behaviour of public servants."