Cabinet has announced the five members that will form part of SITA’s interim board. (Photograph by Lesley Moyo)
The State IT Agency (SITA) has welcomed the five members appointed to serve as the interim board of the embattled entity.
On Thursday, Cabinet announced five newly-appointed non-executive directors who form the interim board: Sedzani Mudau (chairperson), Willie Vukela (Department of Public Service and Administration representative), Willie Mathebula (National Treasury representative), Information Regulator advocate Johannes Collen Weapond, and Omega Shelembe (Department of Communications and Digital Technologies – DCDT − representative).
They join executive directors, SITA acting MD Gopal Reddy and CFO Molatlhegi Kgauwe, to form the interim board.
In a statement, SITA says the appointments are a significant development and mark a new chapter, as it works towards achieving excellence and delivering in accordance with customers’ expectations.
“The interim board brings a wealth of experience and expertise from the ICT industry and other sectors, and this will be instrumental in guiding SITA through this transitional period,” comments Reddy.
“We are confident their leadership will provide the strategic direction and governance needed to steer the company towards sustainable growth and improved performance.”
SITA is an entity of the DCDT charged with provisioning and procurement of ICT goods and services on behalf of government departments and public entities. The department is headed by minister Solly Malatsi, under the Government of National Unity.
The government IT agency continues to experience high turnover of executives at management level, and has been marred by tensions and divisions at executive board level.
The leadership instability forms part of the investigation being conducted by the Public Service Commission into the entity’s affairs. In addition, the Public Protector is looking into the process to appoint the previous acting MD and chief procurement officer.
SITA says it is committed to working collaboratively with the interim board to address the challenges the company faces and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
Further, it believes with the interim board’s guidance and the collective efforts of everyone, it will emerge stronger and more capable of delivering results for stakeholders.
Says the statement: “With the interim board in place, this marks a step towards restoring governance, and to focus, among other things, on urgent and priority business decisions. All SITA teams will support the interim board and contribute towards the long-term success and resilience of the company.”
“We would like to extend our gratitude to all our stakeholders, including employees, customers and partners, for their continued support and trust in SITA. As we embark on this new journey, we remain dedicated to upholding our core values that include accountability, integrity and customer centricity in all that we do,” concludes Reddy.
