Johannesburg, 03 Oct 2008
The Black IT Forum (BITF) is planning to meet with the new minister of public service and administration, Richard Baloyi, to apprise him of the forum's concerns about the State IT Agency (SITA).
BITF chairman Mthunzi Mdwaba says a meeting with Baloyi's predecessor, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, shortly before her resignation, proved unproductive.
“During this meeting, I questioned why Zodwa Manase was re-elected as chairman of the SITA board, the composition of the board, as well as the processes surrounding the election of the SITA executive.
“But the minister (Fraser-Moleketi) insisted that she engages with other executive members of the BIFT and promptly terminated the meeting.”
A follow-up meeting was never scheduled, as Fraser-Moleketi resigned in the wake of the ANC's recall of President Thabo Mbeki.
Mdwaba, on behalf of the BITF, was very vocal at the time of SITA CEO Llewellyn Jones's sudden resignation in July, amid allegations of government interference in SITA tender processes. At the centre of this storm was government CIO and SITA deputy chairman Michelle Williams, who allegedly was responsible for ordering that the agency's tender evaluation process be side-stepped.
“I brought up the issue of Williams, as well as the SITA board and the fact that it is, and has been for years, very mediocre (during the meeting with Fraser-Moleketi).”
Mdwaba says the same issues will be raised with the new minister. “We will be sending a letter to the new minister so that he can get to know us. We have always had a good relationship with SITA, but we have a problem with how some of its functions are executed.”
He explains that there is no clarity about how SITA board members are appointed and the BITF is concerned that it has no say in the appointments. Also of concern, he adds, are the reappointments of Williams and Manase to the board.
“We are all for the empowerment of women, but why has Manase been appointed for a third term as chairman?” Mdwaba has described Manase's previous terms at the head of the SITA board as “ineffectual”.
Mdwaba says he has no information about the selection of SITA's next CEO and says the BIFT would like a clearer understanding of this process from the minister. He expects to meet with Baloyi before the CEO shortlist gets presented to Cabinet during its next sitting.
He also feels that the reasons for Jones's resignation have not been fully explored. “The minister (Fraser-Moleketi) wrote a letter to Business Unity SA in which she outlined the reasons for Jones's leaving. But I feel that she was being economical with the truth. Llewellyn Jones should be spoken to so that we can find out what really happened.”
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