Subscribe

New CEO, CFO for USAASA, Sentech

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 03 May 2016
New USAASA CEO Lumko Mtimde (above) replaces Zami Nkosi, who made a quiet exit from the agency last month.
New USAASA CEO Lumko Mtimde (above) replaces Zami Nkosi, who made a quiet exit from the agency last month.

State-owned enterprises (SOEs), the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA (USAASA) and Sentech, have respectively appointed a chief executive officer and chief financial officer.

USAASA has appointed Lumko Mtimde as its new CEO, replacing Zami Nkosi, who made a quiet exit from the agency last month when his contract was not renewed.

However, according to a USAASA spokesperson, the agency is yet to get clarity when Mtimde will officially commence his duties at USAASA.

"As per a Cabinet statement, there is still the verification process that is under way," she told ITWeb.

Following the departure of Nkosi, Makhotso Moiloa was the agency's acting CEO.

Mtimde is the former head of the state-funded Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA). He was also recently appointed chief of staff in agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister Senzeni Zokwana's office.

A senior African National Congress member and former board member of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Mtimde stepped down from his position as MDDA CEO in 2014 after eight years at the helm.

He also served as acting CEO of Alfred Nzo Development Agency and councillor of both the Independent Broadcasting Authority and Independent Communications Authority of SA.

Mtimde has courted controversy because of his support for the establishment of a media appeals tribunal.

USAASA was established to help roll out universal connectivity with government and private sector partnerships. The agency is also handling the tender process for the production of set-top boxes intended for SA's digital migration process.

The agency previously came under fire for failing to deliver, abuse of funds, low staff morale and high CEO churn, among other issues.

Nkosi landed the CEO role in 2013 after he was appointed by then communications minister Dina Pule. His appointment was widely criticised following allegations that Nkosi was hired irregularly.

Meanwhile, Sentech has appointed Clarinda Simpson as CFO of the signal distributor. Her appointment comes six months after the SOE appointed Mlamli Booi as CEO.

Simpson, a University of South Africa graduate, was former CFO at communications regulator ICASA, head of finance at the Financial Services Board, as well as senior manager at the Office of the Auditor-General.

Sentech provides broadcast transmission services to SABC, eTV, MNet, community broadcasters, and over 150 radio stations countrywide on a daily basis. Its infrastructure and data communications platforms also provide services to SA's telecoms sector and mobile providers.

The SOE is mandated by the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services to drive the migration of the country's broadcasting services from analogue to digital.

Share