Although the appointment of new permanent executives is a priority for the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the agency's board and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) are confident sufficient anti-corruption measures were in place, before maladministration allegations surfaced.
Science and technology minister Derek Hanekom yesterday announced the dismissal of CEO Simphiwe Duma and CFO Barbara Kortjaas, following a forensic investigation at the agency.
A Deloitte report found Duma was aware of the agency's appointment of his ex-wife Kgomotso Matjila as general manager of marketing and branding, even though she was not properly evaluated, as stipulated in the TIA's recruitment policy.
The report also found Duma and Kortjaas were involved in irregular procurement procedures at the agency, including the appointment of Ilizwi Industrial Holdings to conduct a study on behalf of the agency, despite the fact that no tender process was opened.
However, Hanekom says the TIA and DST are confident there are adequate measures in place to prevent possible corruption in future.
"These things came to light as a result of whistle-blowing and this should be encouraged. It's hard to stop something you don't know about.
"When you have a CEO who does something he should not do and when there is collaboration with the CFO, it is difficult for the board to know what's going on," says Hanekom.
"What happened at the TIA is an anomaly in the entities which fall under the DST," adds Hanekom.
Hawks probe
TIA board chairperson Khungeka Njobe has filed a report with the police's elite Hawks unit to investigate corruption in the Terbrugge Project - a cattle-breeding initiative targeted at rural areas.
Deloitte's report found the project did not fall within the TIA's mandate and the Hawks are set to probe a trust fund which was set up for the project.
Agang SA leader and former TIA board chairperson Mamphela Ramphele founded the Terbrugge Community Trust, but Hanekom stressed the report found she did not personally benefit from the initiative.
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