“I must point out that the committee is not satisfied with the overall performance of Icasa councillors,” African National Congress MP Ismail Vadi, who chairs the communications portfolio committee, told MPs.<\/p>\n
But this did not mean the council would be dissolved, he said, speaking after announcing the names of two candidates for a vacant post on the regulatory body’s council.<\/p>\n
Vadi said the performance of Icasa councillors was not up to standard, and a matter for concern.<\/p>\n
“The committee is continuously receiving negative feedback on administrative efficiencies within Icasa.”<\/p>\n
This included councillors’ failure to process regulatory decisions on the basis of proper and legally defensible procedures; and an absence of organisational cohesion between the councilors and Icasa’s senior executive management.<\/p>\n
“And we are receiving reports of a number of councilors undertaking international trips that have little or no bearing on their core responsibilities.”<\/p>\n
Vadi said former communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri — who died earlier this year — had not established a system to rate the performance of Icasa councillors.<\/p>\n
“Consequently, Icasa councillors have not been fairly and properly evaluated, though anecdotal evidence from the public suggests that the situation is less than satisfactory.”<\/p>\n
He called on Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda to formalise a performance management system for Icasa councillors.<\/p>\n
The two candidates announced by Vadi are William Stucke, treasurer for the Internet Service Providers’ Association; and Khulile Boqwana, a senior manager for regulation at Telkom Media.<\/p>\n
“The minister must now decide on either one of the two candidates,” he said.<\/p>\n