In her shoes

You know your country is prospering when your minister takes several quick, controversial steps, and all in designer shoes.

What? But you see people begging at every traffic light. The literacy rate is practically non-existent. Too many children go hungry every day...

It's no wonder SA's Gini coefficient is among the worst in the world, when you have starving children living side-by-side with Christian Louboutin-wearing communications ministers.

Some of you may be thinking: “Shame, but Dina Pule works so hard to not switch on digital TV when promised, and to miss several important deadlines for various ICT projects. She deserves to spend her money on whatever indulgent, designer items she pleases.”

But, then you find out the shoes were possibly purchased with money that was sponsored for the inaugural ICT Indaba, money that was meant for public benefit.

Allegedly, the shoes were bought for Pule by a man romantically linked to her, Phosane Mngqibisa.

So, her boyfriend's buying her gifts, so what, right? Well, the problem is her Casanova may have sticky fingers. He may not have grabbed the shoes and ran out the store, or quietly tried to take them Winona Ryder-style, but what he 'allegedly' did is the same, in principle.

It's the equivalent of walking up to ordinary citizens and picking their pockets.

I say this because the man who is allegedly linked to Pule also happens to have been subcontracted for the inaugural ICT Indaba that was held in June.

He took R100 000 of sponsorship money to attend the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, in February, as part of his preparatory work for the indaba. He reportedly purchased the designer shoes in Barcelona, using sponsorship money, but no hard evidence has been found to support this claim.

He also withdrew millions in sponsorship money just days after the event, and word is that Pule pushed for his company to be hired as a subcontractor in the first place.

You have starving children living side-by-side with Christian Louboutin-wearing communications ministers.

Farzana Rasool, IT in government editor, ITWeb

I hate being indecisive, but I can't help but admit that most of the statements made above are “alleged”.

None of the accusations have firm evidence, and the event organiser for the indaba, Carol Bouwer Productions, which subcontracted Mngqibisa, says he did not submit an invoice for the shoes after his trip.

It says it has no knowledge of the shoes, or even if he bought them at all. If he did buy them, it does not know if he used part of the R100 000 to do so, or his own money.

So maybe all was above board and the man bought a gift for his lady with his own money. But then they're only “allegedly” romantically linked, so maybe he didn't buy them for her at all. Maybe she bought her own shoes with her own salary?

When it comes to public figures, it's quite difficult to know when to give them the benefit of the doubt. They're under more scrutiny than normal people, and yes, this comes as part and parcel of taking up a position in public office, but it's hard not to think that sometimes innocent actions are misconstrued.

It's easy to understand that political opposition, media wanting higher viewership rates or disgruntled employees would sensationalise such incidents to serve their agendas.

Try walking in Pule's shoes for a minute. No, not the Louboutins.

Her ministry has said the allegations around her romantic link to a man who withdrew millions in sponsorship money, and allegations that she pushed for his appointment, are nothing more than a mudslinging exercise, a political vendetta against her.

If this is true, she's getting a hard time just for having the same taste in shoes as the likes of Kim Kardashian.

And here comes the indecision again, because I still can't help but think, where there's smoke...