Minister mulls 'sensitive' SITA report

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has acknowledged the existence of a highly-sensitive internal risk assessment report that was recently compiled by Henderson Solutions.

The report, currently with minister Richard Baloyi, is a risk assessment of the agency's procurement processes, and the DPSA says Baloyi will, at a later date, decide whether to make the document public.

Henderson Solutions head and author of the report Bart Henderson confirmed he was appointed by the SITA executive to compile the report. He also confirmed he did meet with, and handed over the report to, Baloyi.

“I am not at liberty to discuss the contents of this report,” he stated when approached by ITWeb.

He refused to be drawn on further details, simply saying: “It is my perception of the minister and SITA that every effort is being made to pursue and promote sound principles of governance and ethics.

“It is also my perception that every effort is being made by SITA's executive, management and staff to improve and enhance systems, processes, efficiencies and service delivery.”

SITA, in turn, stated it has no comment on the matter, while the DPSA would not comment on the content of the risk assessment report either. The DPSA did admit that all is not well between the board and executive of the agency. However, SITA insiders have described the report's contents as “potentially explosive”.

News of the report closely follows the appointment of yet another acting CEO at SITA, as part of a three-member team that has been established to “strengthen the executive leadership”.

SITA's chief of strategic service, Moses Mthimunye, has taken over from Femke Pienaar, who had been acting CEO for the better part of a year, and whose term as acting CEO has expired. Mthimunye is part of a three-person CEO team, which includes Ramabele Magona Nthithe, chief of shared services, and Egshaan Khan, SITA's CIO.

In addition, Baloyi has also appointed a ministerial advisor, professor Solly Mollo, who “provides close monitoring by the minister to ensure a day-to-day accountability assurance”.

“The precise role of the adviser is to strengthen co-ordination between the board and the executive in dealing with matters of SITA during this current time where we have a depleted SITA board, as well as a 'juniorised' SITA executive, particularly as there is a clear lack of co-operation between the board and the executive.”

Despite this, Baloyi was upbeat during his department's recent budget and strategy presentation to Parliament, when he stated he is confident SITA “indeed has men and women who would make sure SITA was kept afloat and that it could deliver on its mandate”.

This morning, the DPSA also said details of a recent task team investigation into SITA will be provided soon.

“We will soon communicate a SITA turnaround strategy that will respond to issues around executive leadership, as well as the strengthening of the executive board,” the department commented.

Baloyi established a task team to investigate SITA in December, after taking over the public service and administration portfolio from Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, who quit when former president Thabo Mbeki was recalled by the ANC.

At the time, Baloyi threatened to take SITA to task, as the agency was characterised by infighting, an incomplete board and questions about whether it was flouting its own processes and procedures.

The task team wrapped up its investigation into the agency shortly before the April elections, but Baloyi has yet to act on the findings.

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