The Democratic Alliance's (DA) shadow communications minister, Marian Shinn, has called on minister Dina Pule to take whatever legal steps necessary to withdraw the appointment of Rubben Mohlaloga to the council of the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA).
"Mohlaloga has been charged with defrauding the Land Bank of R6 million and should not be considered for a position of responsibility in a chapter nine entity until he has been cleared of wrongdoing," says Shinn.
ITWeb reported on Tuesday that Mohlaloga was arrested in October and has been released on R20 000 bail. He is due to start as an ICASA councillor, alongside two other new appointees, in January, after a process of short-listing that started earlier this year.
Mohlaloga's appointment was approved in the second-last week of November by the National Assembly, along with the appointment of Nomvuyiso Batyi and Katharina Pillay.
Not acceptable
"ICASA councillors, because of the value placed on their independence and integrity, must be above reproach, and it is untenable that a candidate councillor who has not yet taken up tenure should start his highly-paid career with a criminal charge hanging over his head," says Shinn.
Shinn adds that, at the time of his interview with the Portfolio Committee on Communications in September, Mohlaloga had apparently not been criminally charged, so could probably honestly answer that there was no criminal record or conflict of interest issue that would nullify his appointment.
However, his subsequent criminal charge should have been made known to Pule, before she made her final choice on 21 November, says Shinn. "If Mohlaloga failed to inform his employers, the Department of Communications, of the criminal charges against him, this casts doubt on his integrity and suitability for the post."
According to Mohlaloga's LinkedIn profile, he has been the department's GM for policy development since July 2010. He was previously chairman of the Portfolio Committee for Agriculture and Land Affairs.
Pule must explain why she did not know that a chief director in her department had been criminally charged, says Shinn. "I urge her to deal with this matter with urgency. It is indefensible for ICASA - which is a chapter nine institution in place to support our democracy - should employ a new councillor whose integrity is suspect."
Mohlaloga has yet to respond to a voicemail message and two SMSes seeking comment sent to him on Tuesday.
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