Public Service and Administration Minister, Faith Muthambi was a no-show in Parliament on Tuesday, despite confirming she would be in attendance.
Muthambi was due to appear before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Tuesday to respond to claims of nepotism. During her tenure as Communications Minister, she allegedly spent over R500,000 on flying 30 relatives and friends to Cape Town to attend her budget vote address. The Sunday Times also reported that Muthambi hired over 27 relatives to her department.
The minister did not send an apology for not attending the meeting and her department's director general Mashwahle Diphofa (DG) did not show up either.
Committee chairperson, Makhosi Khoza said: "They have not apologized. As far as I know they are supposed to be here".
Khoza said she was under the impression that Muthambi would be at the meeting because she was with her in Cape Town on Tuesday morning.
"My understanding was she was down here in order to attend this particular meeting. I am not sure about the DG, whether he was here or not."
She went on to say that it was "wasteful" and 'unfruitful" for Muthambi to be traveling to Cape Town but not attending meetings.
Democratic Alliance MP Michael Waters said Muthambi should be issued with a subpoena forcing her to appear before the committee.
"I am glad the public service committee is here so they can take the matter up," Waters said.
"She has simply given us the middle finger" he said about Muthambi.
Meanwhile the Economic Freedom Fighter's Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has accused the minister of "running away" from being held accountable for nepotism.