Johannesburg, 12 Aug 2010
The Department of Home Affairs' disastrous relationship with ICT and its suppliers is finally delivering high-profile arrests, as the long arm of the law looks to eradicate corruption.
Yesterday, Home Affairs' chief director of infrastructure management, Nkosana Hilida; his subordinate, Rakele Khuzwayo, director of networks and security, and newly-appointed Lefatshe CEO Coltrane Nyathi appeared in the dock of the Commercial Crimes Court.
The appearance followed their arrests on Wednesday by government's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, colloquially known as the Hawks.
Last night, Hawks spokesperson Musa Zondi confirmed the arrests, revealing the three are to face charges of bribery and corruption. The charge sheet was not available during yesterday's appearance and the three men were remanded into custody as they await a bail hearing next Monday.
The details of the arrests have not yet been revealed and there is currently no official comment on what led to the men being caught.
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Meanwhile, industry players say that they are shocked at the events. Not at the allegations of corruption, they explain, but rather the fact that senior people have been fingered and arrests have been made.
“We've been talking about corruption in government IT for years. Corruption is no surprise - action is,” says an industry participant, who did not wish to be named, explained.
Little is known about Hilida and Khuzwayo; however, Nyathi's employment history passes through the halls of the State IT Agency (SITA) and he was one of three external advisors to SITA's bid committee on the controversial R153 million enterprise content management tender for Cipro, which was awarded to ValorIT. This contract is currently the subject of a court battle between ValorIT and the Department of Trade and Industry, and its awarding has resulted in the suspension of Cipro's CEO and CIO.
Nyathi took the top spot at Lefatshe in May, following the abrupt exit of Noedine Isaacs-Mpulo.
This morning, Lefatshe spokesperson Mbuso Thabethe said the company was bewildered by the events of the past 24 hours. Further than this, the company is not willing to comment as it has yet to see the charges Nyathi faces.
Home Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamuepa declined to comment yesterday, referring queries to today's “full” media briefing with director-general Mkuseli Apleni.
Home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is in Ethiopia representing SA at the first Conference of African Ministers responsible for civil registration.
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