Communications minister Solly Malatsi has appointed Loyiso Tyira as interim chairperson of the B-BBEE ICT Sector Council.
The move sees Minki Mazibuko-Thulo relieved of her duties as council chairperson with immediate effect, notes a statement from Malatsi’s department.
The minister also appointed William Ledwaba as the deputy interim chairperson.
Tyira and Ledwaba have jointly been appointed for a period of six months, while the department completes its work on the longer-term reconfiguration of the council, it states.
The changes come as the council has been rocked by operational challenges, resignations and allegations of lack of leadership, including a vote of no confidence in Mazibuko-Thulo.
In June, ITWeb reported the council, which had a total complement of 22 members, was reduced to 11 following an exodus of council members, from December 2024 to April 2026.
Among the resignations is that of two deputy chairpersons.
Some of the reasons for the resignations, based on a report seen by ITWeb, were alleged poor leadership, including a long period of absence by the chairperson without communicating with the council; internal personality conflicts, including conflict between the chairperson and acting council secretary; and the inability to focus on its business and work.
The investigation conducted by an audit executive from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) recommended that the council be disbanded due to “dysfunctionality”.
In the statement issued today, Malatsi says: “I considered all of the serious concerns raised by current and former members of council, council stakeholders and the findings of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies’ special investigation report into the council and the breakdown of relations between the chairperson and other council members – all of which point to the need to reconfigure the leadership of the council to ensure it functions effectively.”
He notes the steps taken aim to empower the council to fulfil its responsibilities, and thanked Mazibuko-Thulo for her service as chairperson.
Tyira is chairperson of the Technology Innovation Agency.
He previously served as chairperson of the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority and was also MD of the ICT SMME Chamber.
The ICT council was officially set up in September 2015. It is tasked with monitoring transformation of the sector by facilitating the implementation of the B-BBEE ICT Sector Code.
The council acts as an independent body that operates under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. Its members are approved by the line minister, who sits at the DCDT, as recommended by the sector stakeholders.
Funding the council’s operations is a joint effort between the private sector and the line department responsible for that sector.
The council is currently in its third term of office since it’s been established, with the most recent council members appointed in May 2024. They were appointed under the tenure of former DCDT minister, now deputy minister, Mondli Gungubele.
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