New Icasa councillors announced

Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has welcomed Parliament’s approval of his four candidate nominations to fill vacancies on the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) board.

The candidates include Dr Charley Lewis, Dr Joseph Maumela, Karabo Mohale, and Andrew Matseke.

“These individuals were selected based on a careful evaluation of their qualifications and experience,” Malatsi’s ministry said in a statement.

“Collectively, they offer a balanced mix of continuity and new insight to support Icasa’s work as an independent regulator.”

Below is an overview of each of the nominated persons’ qualifications and relevant experience:

• Dr Charles “Charley” Lewis holds a PhD and master’s degree in information systems from the University of Witwatersrand and was an Icasa councillor from 2020 until 2024. His career includes working as an independent analyst and researcher, head of IT at the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), and returning to Wits as a senior lecturer.
• Dr Joshua Tshifhiwa Maumela is a senior machine learning engineer at Vodacom. He holds a PhD and a master’s degree in AI from the University of Johannesburg. A notable achievement includes developing the first deep learning-powered recommendation system for Standard Bank CIB.
• Andrew Dibi Matseke served as the CEO of Broadband Infraco from 2017 until 2022. He holds a bachelor of science in electrical and electronic engineering and a master of business administration from UCT. Matseke also has experience across the continent, having implemented telecommunication solutions in Botswana, Lesotho, Tanzania, and the DRC.
• Karabo Mohale is currently the executive deputy chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency and chair of the board of directors of the Tshwane Institute for Continuing Education. She holds a master of arts in development studies from the University of Sussex, a bachelor of commerce honours in marketing from Mancosa, a bachelor of technology in marketing from Tshwane University, and a national diploma in marketing.

Maltasi nominated the four candidates in February this year, selected from a list of six chosen by Parliament.

In accordance with Section 5(1A)(a) of the Icasa Act, Malatsi then sent the four back to the National Assembly for review.

Before the nominated councillors can begin their duties, the Speaker of the National Assembly needs to publish the report in Parliament’s announcements, tablings, and committee reports (ATC).

Once the report has been published, Malatsi can proceed with the formal appointment of the nominees.