I must admit that I am one of the many people who questioned bringing a former military leader in to head the Department of Communications. I was concerned that no one in industry would know or respect him and, if there was one thing the department needed, it was respected leadership.
Over the last three months that General Siphiwe Nyanda has headed the department, I have come to realise it takes similar skills to march a regiment into battle as it does to clean up the mess the department has become.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications said it best when its head said: “It has been an assessment of mine that the DOC has been lacking a focused leadership for some time.”
Got your back
I am more convinced than ever of the general's commitment to the department after his appointment of Mamodupi Mohlala as the director-general. As a choice of reinforcement, I think Nyanda could have done worse.
She is well known by industry with a strong legal background and, more importantly, a good understanding of the telecommunications industry.
Admittedly, she does come to the frontline with something of a chequered history. Some years ago, while living in the barracks of the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA), she was accused of moonlighting for some of the operators.
Despite this, what the department needs most is someone who knows the industry and will give it a fair chance to flourish, as any good leader should. The trouble with the minister and his deputy is that they have no background in the businesses that operate in industry.
Parliament is encouraged by Mohlala's arrival, and hopes she will instil a new focus for the department. It may be na"ive, but I have every faith that she will take up the DOC's call with what is needed.
Conscription
While General Surprise may have no relationships in the industry, he will certainly be no stranger to tightening up lines, and he has been proving that since he stepped through the door to lead the charge.
I am more convinced than ever of the general's commitment to the department after his appointment of Mamodupi Mohlala as the director-general.
Candice Jones, ITWeb telecoms editor
His first port of call was to flush out the guerrillas within the SABC. The state-owned broadcaster has been on a downward slope, drinking the department's budget and squandering it on loose projects, with no discipline.
When the general started his raid on the broadcaster, I hoped he would quickly turn his focus on the operators - force them to lower costs and foster an industry of competition. While he hasn't yet sounded the charge on high costs, he has by no means ignored the situation, and as any good general knows, you have to fight one battle at a time.
That said, the appointment of Mohlala speaks to one of the greatest possible military tactics in history. It looks as though Nyanda is taking the fight to two fronts: Mohlala will take on telecoms and he will battle the state-owned operations.
While I am still hunting down the general to get a view on what his plan is for our industry, I am more convinced he is the perfect candidate for the job.
As for his two new BMWs, while he could have chosen a slightly less conspicuous model, every good soldier needs a couple of tanks.
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