Employees of the State IT Agency (SITA) were yesterday informed that CEO and MD Colin van Schalkwyk would quit his post at the end of September with a year left to run on his contract.
Van Schalkwyk joined the multibillion-rand company in late 2000 after it spent more than six months under temporary leaders and, for a short while, a leadership committee of three. The two previous managing directors, JC van Niekerk and Tebogo Matsoso, both quit within months of being appointed, leaving the company rudderless shortly after its formation.
At the time of Van Schalkwyk's appointment, Public Service and Administration minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said she would bring stability to the agency, having committed to staying on for at least three years.
During Van Schalkwyk's time at SITA, it went through a number of structural changes and a continued consolidation of its status as the only IT supplier to government departments. But his resignation comes as the legislation before Parliament seeks to cement that position, making it mandatory for government to procure IT systems through SITA, where previously it had to negotiate separate agreements with each state organ.
The amendment to the SITA act, which established the private company with the state as the sole shareholder, is expected to be promulgated this month.
The SITA board is expected to announce a temporary replacement for Van Schalkwyk shortly and to start the process of finding a replacement at the same time. It previously took four and eight months respectively.
Van Schalkwyk could not immediately be reached for comment.
Related stories:
SITA amendment enforces centralised govt IT spend
Share
