The embattled Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) fought a rearguard action on what its chairperson, Paris Mashile, took to be an attack on the authority's independence in Parliament yesterday.
Towards the end of a gruelling session, in which ICASA presented its annual report to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, the line between oversight and micromanagement became blurred for all parties, when the issues of overseas trips and performance management systems came up.
Committee chairperson Ismail Vadi (ANC) asked Department of Communications (DOC) director-general Mamodupi Mohlala to develop a policy for ICASA councillors' international trips and to ensure a performance management system was in place by 30 November.
“The frequency of the international trips of the councillors has been raised before and is of concern to this committee,” Vadi said. “I know that at least five councillors have to sign off on a trip for one, but we are concerned that these trips are impacting the efficiency of the authority.”
He went on to say that the long-term value of these trips is in question.
Vadi also emphasised that the councillors' performance management system had been in discussion for several years and that it seemed that nothing had been done about it.
“Without such a system, how do we hold the ICASA councillors accountable?” Vadi said.
Collective responsibility
Mohlala asked for more guidance on how to go about both assigned tasks, saying that, so far, the DOC had been in individual discussions with the councillors about the performance management system.
Juli Kilian (Cope) pointed out that the ICASA council functioned as a collective, “...and, therefore, the system should be based on a collective approach rather than just based on the individuals”.
However, Eric Kholwane (ANC) stepped into the discussion and cautioned Vadi that the committee should not be too involved in “micromanaging” ICASA.
“Before you know it, people, some of whom sit here in this committee, will be saying that Parliament is impacting on the independence of ICASA. Chair, I urge you to be very careful,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Lindiwe Mazibuko (DA), who said that, while there were serious problems with ICASA and these needed to be sorted out, the authority's independence had to be protected.
Vadi responded: “The Act clearly defines the lines of accountability. This committee wants to get the efficiency standards up in this organisation, until then it will remain ineffective.”
He went on to say: “It may be in some [people's] business interests to see a weak and inefficient ICASA and they will be the ones to fly the flag of independence.”
Under attack
These comments drew a strong response from Mashile, towards the end of the session.
“ICASA has to remain independent. We have no problem with Parliament's oversight role and we do take any criticism and use it to improve us. However, what has gone so wrong as to trigger this attack on us?”
Mashile complained that ICASA had become the target of numerous attacks and criticisms from Parliament, and this was hampering the authority's work. He also stated ICASA could not be seen to be too closely linked to government and the DOC, in particular.
“Some of the government entities play within the same space as other companies in a competitive environment. If we are seen to be too close to government, then we will be criticised for not being independent.”
Mashile went on to say that several of the councillors, including himself, had taken up their current positions to be of service to the country and that they had made great personal sacrifices to do so, including being paid lower salaries.
However, Vadi was not mollified. “There may be a fine line between accountability and micromanagement. This new government puts a high premium on accountability. We see this as a process of fulfilling that mandate.”
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