A former Department of Communications (DOC) senior official has put her weight behind the country's new communications minister, saying he is the right man to turn around the “dysfunctional” ministry.
In an exclusive interview with ITWeb, former communications director-general (DG) Lyndall Shope-Mafole came out in support of her former colleague, Roy Padayachie, who was officially thrust into the DOC hot seat on Monday.
This move followed president Jacob Zuma's Sunday purge of his Cabinet, which saw - among others - the axing of Siphiwe Nyanda from the communications minister's post. The former SANDF head lost favour not only with opposition politicians, but also influential figures within the ruling ANC, a mere 18 months into his tenure.
Stepping out of his customary supporting role - in what was one of the most keenly watched redeployments of the Zuma reshuffle - the highly-rated Padayachie has come under the immediate pressure of high expectations.
In the days following his ministerial appointment, the ICT industry and politicians alike pledged their support. They voiced confidence that the former under-stated deputy minister would be able to clean up the mess left by his predecessor and realise the country's ICT agenda.
Welcome return
Shope-Mafole notes Padayachie's return to the DOC would be welcomed by its staff and will go some way towards stemming the skills haemorrhage plaguing the department.
“Everyone knows Padayachie within the department; knows what to expect and is comfortable following his lead,” she says, adding that he is a man who “sees” people on every level and seeks to engage with them.
Shope-Mafole says it is essential that Padayachie starts mending employee relations, as soon as possible, specifically with an increased workload faced by the DOC workforce, as numerous important skills have headed out the door.
Padayachie was deputy to late former communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, with Shope-Mafole serving as DG. Under the Zuma administration, he was appointed deputy minister of public service and administration.
After Nyanda's ill-fated time as head of the Communications Ministry, largely overshadowed by political scandals, Shope-Mafole believes the private sector will scramble to reconnect with the DOC. Padayachie, she claims, is best remembered for his hope of a more accessible, liberalised ICT sector.
Getting involved
“The private sector's role in the affairs of the ministry has been neglected. These relationships need to be rekindled and restored to strength, because the private sector is absolutely essential to Padayachie achieving his targets.
“Simply put, government is unable to provide the services and infrastructure required by the country on its own. Private-public partnerships are going to play increasingly critical roles in this sector, particularly if government continues to ignore the funding needs of our developing country.”
Shope-Mafole is also confident Padayachie will be capable of dealing with dysfunctional state-owned entities, such as the SABC and Sentech, which have for years been plagued by inefficiency and mismanagement. These two organisations specifically became a thorn in the side of Nyanda, who was blamed for their worsening states over the past few months.
However, Padayachie's efforts to turn around state concerns might be hampered by difficulty to convince his Cabinet peers of the importance of ICT in a modern economy, warns Shope-Mafole.
“If he is unable to win over his peers - sell his strategies to them and get them excited in the outcomes - then he will never be able to effect meaningful change. Padayachie - or any minister, for that matter - does not get to make policy decisions. Only Cabinet, as a collective, can approve or dismiss government strategy.”
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