The Universal Service and Access Agency of SA (USAASA) is still without a CEO and, as of the end of the month, will no longer have a chairman either.
Cassandra Gabriel says her three-year term as chairperson is ending this month, and she will now focus on her studies and her business.
Communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda has not yet decided what to do about the vacancy.
The agency has been without a CEO since March, when its former head, James Theledi, was axed by the board following charges of sexual harassment.
His appeal and subsequent legal wrangling has delayed the appointment of a new CEO. More delays resulted after poor-quality candidates responded to advertisements, and now the change in guard at the Department of Communications (DOC) has held the matter up further.
Theledi took the agency to court over his axing, after his appeal last year, to acting communications minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, failed. He is now fighting the matter at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Delays and more delays
Gabriel explains that the process of replacing the CEO has been delayed several times. She says none of the candidates who responded to the agency's advertisement were suitable. It then had to embark on a head-hunting process.
However, interviews with these prospective CEOs have yet to take place, because the DOC - which has representatives on the interview panel - has had several top-level changes, and needs to be brought up to speed with the agency and its inner workings.
Communications spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso says, however, neither Nyanda nor director-general Mamodupi Mohlala are involved in the appointment of the CEO. “It's the responsibility of the board.
“Even if they sit on the [interview] panel, the responsibility of carrying out the process of appointing the CEO is that of USAASA and not the DOC,” says Rikhotso.
He adds that Nyanda has not yet taken a decision on the process to replace Gabriel.
Share
