Lyndall Shope-Mafole is to chair the Presidential National Commission on the Information Society and Development, communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri announced on Monday.
The commission was first announced by President Thabo Mbeki in his state of the nation address in February, although the announcement was overshadowed by a similar international commission revealed at the same time.
The Presidential International Taskforce on Information, Society and Development consists of prominent CEOs of multinational companies, including the likes of Larry Ellison of Oracle and Carly Fiorina of HP, and met for the first time in October.
On Monday, Matsepe-Casaburri announced the names of the members of the local commission in a speech at the opening of the ITU Telecom Africa 2001 forum.
Director-general of the Department of Communications Andile Ngcaba was named as the alternate chairman.
Shope-Mafole resigned from the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in 1997 along with four other councillors after allegations of the misuse of Authority funds surfaced in 1996.
According to reports at the time, Shope-Mafole was alleged to have misspent R123 357, and three other councillors were said to have spent another R111 193 without authorisation.
The money was allegedly spent by way of credit cards drawing on Authority funds and used for five-star hotel accommodation, upgrade flights to business class and other unauthorised luxuries.
The allegations were investigated by the Heath investigating unit, which recommended that the councillors pay back the money in question. They initially refused, claiming the money had been spent on legitimate business expenses, but last year a parliamentary committee heard that some had agreed to make amends and that the matter would be closed.
The IBA has since been merged with the SA Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) to form the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA).
ICASA CEO Nkateko Nyoka says the Heath unit finally found that the bulk of the money had been spent legitimately and that the former councillors had only been held liable for "a minute amount". He ordered that these amounts be written off, as the cost to recover them would outweigh the gains.
"We wrote off the amount in the last report of the IBA," he says.
After her resignation, Shope-Mafole was absorbed by the Department of Communications, surfacing first as an advisor to then-communications minister Jay Naidoo and later as a foreign representative to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Communications ministry Robert Nkuna says the matter is considered closed and did not have any influence on the appointment.
"As far as we are concerned the issue has been clarified," he says. "On the basis of having been clarified that we felt it was no longer an issue.
"The president appointed her to her current position because of her knowledge of the industry, the commitment she has shown to the industry over the years and general capabilities."
At the time of publication, presidential representatives had not responded to requests for comment.
According to Matsepe-Casaburri, the commission forms part of plans to ensure a coordinated, coherent and comprehensive government strategy for technology and communication technologies.
Shope-Mafole could not immediately be reached for comment.
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