Communications minister fires two state-owned company board members

South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, has announced the removal of two members from the board of Universal Services and Access Agency (Usaasa).

The members, Daphne Kula-Rantho, who was the chairperson, and Boitumelo Mabusela, have been removed following receiving remuneration outside of the state entity.

“I have removed the individuals who are currently employed as civil servants for failing to obtain approval and to provide evidence of permission from their employers to conduct additional remunerative work outside their official roles,” Malatsi said.

The minister said that he had given both individuals repeated opportunities to submit evidence that they had earned their employer’s approval to earn remuneration outside their official roles, which they failed to do.

Malatsi also contacted their employers to seek proof of such approvals, but none was given. Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele had also previously requested the same evidence but to no avail.

Kula-Rantho and Mabusela will be removed from their positions in accordance with clause 13 of the Governance Act concerning Section 83 of the Public Finance Management Act, which gives ministers the power to dismiss board members for financial misconduct.

The Auditor General has instructed the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to recover the board fees earned by the two as this has been categorised as irregular expenditure.

Kula-Rantho and Mabusela have earned a combined R1,651,960.89 to date and R1,288,966.87 and R362,994.02, respectively.

Malatsi has said that his department is immediately initiating the process of recovering the funds and, along with Usaasa CEO, looking into allegations made against another board member, Simphiwe Thobela.

“To restore stability and to strengthen good governance at Usaasa, we will immediately initiate processes to replace the two board members,” the Minister said.