Just days after the sacking of Dina Pule and the appointment of Yunus Carrim as communications minister, the ministry has been forced to open an independent investigation into one of its key agencies.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Communications says it has asked independent investigators to look into allegations of possible corruption and maladministration at the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA (USAASA).

The independent investigators, the ministry says, have been briefed and are expected to produce their report in four weeks.

USAASA has long been under fire for the alleged misuse of funds on numerous occasions.

“We take allegations about possible abuse of funds allocated by parliament very seriously and we have consulted with the board,” says deputy minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. “We are working tirelessly to restore the public’s faith in government institutions that are established to serve the citizens.”

She adds that the ministry won’t be commenting further on this matter until after the conclusion of the investigation.