My department and I were disturbed by the leader story in your last week’s edition entitled “Trade Officials Solicit R10 000 for `Free’ Dinner”. The article suggests that some untoward activity and abuse of funds has been practised by DTI officials. Even facts in the story don’t substantiate the allegations.
The facts are:
l The DTI is organising the dinner
l It is free for invited guests
l There is a demand for the limited tables
l The DTI made provisions for those companies which wish to pay for a whole table in order to invite their own guests to the event to pay a donation of R10 000 into the DTI coffers. This will help the Department to defray some of the costs of the dinner.
No DTI official has ever asked for cash cheque payments. It is unfortunate that the article has created this impression. I have established that Mr Mungo Soggot spoke to various officials on Wednesday evening (18 November 1998) to clarify this issue.
My officials explained to Mr Soggot that we have full confidence in Mr Roy Moathlodi who is alleged to have called for cash cheque payments.
While we believe that your newspaper and its reporters in general ought to be exposing instances of abuse of public funds, we believe that this should not be pursued to the point of misinterpreting statements made by junior officials.
After the position on the cheques was fully clarified by senior officials to Mr Soggot, he assured my officials that he was satisfied with the explanation. Nevertheless he proceeded to print an article which is in conflict with the facts and which is suggesting abuse of public funds by my officials.
I am simultaneously sending a letter expressing similar feelings to the Press Ombudsman.
Alec Erwin, MP
Minister of Trade & Industry