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Cabinet has approved the appointment of Magatho Mello as MD of the State IT Agency (Sita) – the first time in more than two years that the organisation has a leader not in the role on an acting basis.
“The position has remained vacant since 2023 and has been filled in an acting capacity until now. This appointment brings much-needed stability to the agency’s leadership,” the department of communications & digital technologies said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mello replaces Gopal Reddy, who had been acting in the role since February 2025. Prior to that, the role was held by Simphiwe Dzengwa, also in an acting capacity. Dzengwa’s appointment was marred with controversy, with Sita stakeholders, including the Public Service Association, citing his links to high-level politicians as a suspicious.
Dzengwa had been special advisor to minister of small business development Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams for two years prior to joining Sita.
Sita has struggled with board-level stability for some time. The drama came to a halt in September 2024 when the supreme court of appeal denied an appeal by former communications minister – and now deputy minister – Mondli Gungubele. The move saw the board Gungubele fired in July 2023 over then-incoming Sita MD Bongani Mabaso’s salary reinstated. Mabaso led Sita for nine months before resigning and moving to Altron, where he is now chief technology officer.
Turnaround
Mello’s appointment comes as communications minister Solly Malatsi continues efforts to drive a turnaround at the embattled Sita. In December 2024, the minister called for the Public Service Commission to launch an investigation into Sita’s governance woes, which have had a domino effect on the implementation of mission-critical IT projects across government. In an interview with TechCentral in October, Malatsi said the outcome of that investigation was expected this month.
In May, the Special Investigation Unit – working under instructions from President Cyril Ramaphosa – also launched an investigation into maladministration and corruption at Sita. Meanwhile, many government institutions have called for the decoupling of their IT procurement from Sita, arguing the agency posed a risk to the success of their projects.
Read: Sita hits back at critics, promises faster, automated procurement
Malatsi in May gazetted changes to the Sita Act, disrupting the agency’s legal status as the sole provider of core IT services across government. Sita hit back, arguing that government entities were still required to approach Sita first for their procurement needs, and may only go elsewhere once Sita had proven it could not meet their requirements.
Sita will look to Mello’s three decades of experience to stabilise the organisation. Mello has spent 20 years in managerial and executive positions in the telecommunications sector. He was most recently at MTN, for the past seven years, four of which he spent as group GM of multinational accounts.
Mello’s appointment coincides with those of Themba Phiri as chair of the Sentech board and Nketheleni Norman Ngidi as CEO of the Film and Publications Board. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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