After an assurance that the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) will have a permanent CEO by April, public service and administration minister Richard Baloyi has appointed a new acting CEO, effective from yesterday.
Nontobeko Ntsinde, who is serving as a member on SITA's board, was appointed as the acting CEO for SITA for the period of one year, or until the recruitment process for a permanent CEO is complete, says the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).
Ntsinde replaces the CEO team that was led by Ramabele Magoma Nthite, who is the SITA executive responsible for shared services. The other two members of this team were Moses Mthimunye, SITA's chief of strategic services, and Egshaan Khan, SITA's CIO, adds the DPSA.
Act two
SITA GM of corporate communications Anthea Summers says this decision was not one taken by the agency, but by the minister. She adds that part of Baloyi's reasoning for this appointment was that SITA is moving into the second phase of the turnaround strategy.
Baloyi pointed out that the current situation within SITA had dictated that the appointment processes could not be awaited to run their cause.
“The centre of the three senior officials assigned to lead the agency no longer holds and we had to act urgently, in the interest of the agency, the shareholder and the public,” said Baloyi in rationalising the appointment of an acting CEO.
Taking the lead
Chairperson of SITA Zodwa Manase says Ntsinde is a former head of corporate finance and international finance at the Industrial Development Corporation, and has worked on acquisitions and projects in 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Ms Ntsinde fully appreciates the organisation's needs and its requirements as it moves SITA into a new era. The SITA board has full confidence in Ms Ntsinde to lead the organisation and to implement the new strategic direction that has been developed for the organisation,” said Manase in a statement.
“Ms Ntsinde brings to SITA valued experience and knowledge given her contributions in the legal, financial and investment fraternities. Furthermore, her experience is underpinned by strong leadership, governance and strategic managerial expertise and, therefore, we believe that through her appointment SITA will advance confidently and comprehensively, as it implements a new strategy and direction for the organisation,” she added.
Final act?
In October, Baloyi said the process to appoint a new SITA CEO will be completed by the end of November. When this did not happen, he said in March that the new board will appoint new executives, including a CEO, CFO and COO, all of whom must be in place by April.
The appointment of Ntsinde is yet another in a string of permanent and acting CEOs who have made their way through the agency since its inception in 1999, and has punctuated the organisation's continuing leadership vacuum. During its more than 10 years of existence, SITA has seen more than a dozen individuals filling the top spot either in a permanent or acting capacity.
“The ministry has embarked on the recruitment for the post of CEO for SITA, with the position widely advertised in the media, and is currently managing the finalisation of the appointment processes,” is the department's official word on the matter.
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