DA wants answers on Bathabile Dlamini’s new appointment

The DA has penned several parliamentary questions for Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu about the appointment of former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini to the interim board of the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA).

“My first objective is to understand the full facts of Bathabile Dlamini’s appointment as chairperson of the interim board of the SHRA. To this end, I submitted eight parliamentary questions to the Minister on Tuesday, which she is obliged, by law, to answer within 10 days,” DA MP Emma Powell told News24 on Friday.

The SHRA is the regulatory body responsible for regulating, capacitating, and investing in the social housing sector. The authority administers the subsidies available to social housing and associated norms and standards.

The authority was established in August 2010 by the Minister of Human Settlements as per the Social Housing Act, No 16 of 2008. The SHRA is a public entity in terms of Schedule 3A of the Public Finance Management Act, No 29 of 1999 (PFMA), News24 reported.

Based on the minister’s response to the parliamentary questions, Powell said she would consider lodging complaints with the public protector and Public Service Commission, based on legislative compliance in the appointment of Dlamini.

“The DA will also explore challenging the legality of this appointment on the basis of its reasonableness.

“The courts have previously found, in instances such as the [former National Prosecuting Authority boss] Menzi Simelane matter, that appointments in the public service have to be rational,” Powell added.

News24 previously reported that in an interview on Radio 702, human settlements, water and sanitation department spokesperson Makhosini Mgitywa said Dlamini’s role would be at policy level, and that she would not deal with the SHRA budget.

Mgitywa told the Mail & Guardian last week that the minister would make an announcement on board appointments to entities under her mandate at the appropriate time.

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