USAASA still headless

The Universal Service and Access Agency of SA (USAASA) remains headless, with its CEO Phineas Moleele still on precautionary suspension.

Minister of communications Dina Pule says the forensic investigation into the agency will only be concluded by the middle of February and a decision on Moleele will be made pending the outcome.

In October, the Department of Communications (DOC) ordered a forensic investigation into the agency for financial mismanagement worth millions of rands, after an internal audit report recommended further investigation into the agency's project management office.

The department says the investigation is at an advanced stage and will be concluded once all the required information has been secured.

It adds that what will happen regarding Moleele going forward can only be determined by the outcomes of the investigation.

In the meantime, Pule has appointed two executive caretakers from the department to steer the organisation, as an interim measure.

The executives are Sam Vilakazi, acting deputy director-general of finance, and Themba Phiri, acting deputy director-general of the Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development.

USAASA has a history of controversial leadership, with Moleele's predecessor, James Theledi, having been fired after being found guilty of sexually harassing a female colleague, who left the organisation amid the controversy.

It took about 16 months after Theledi's axing for the agency to appoint a new CEO.

Former communications minister Roy Padayachie said the concern that led to the investigation is the manner in which a R19 million project was managed.

He explained that a service provider was awarded a R19 million contract for the provision of public access facilities in under-serviced areas, but the project was not complete and yet most of the funds were disbursed to it.

In the next financial year, the service provider was reappointed and again funds were already being disbursed.

In September, ITWeb reported that USAASA paid the service provider R15 million even though it only provided one out of the expected 20 access centres for the first quarter of 2011.

Moleele said USAASA preferred to take remedial rather than punitive action.

The government agency is responsible for promoting the goal of universal service and access.

USAASA's vision is, by 2020, to have created for “every man, woman and child, whether living in the remote areas of the Kalahari or in urban areas of Gauteng, opportunity to connect, speak, explore and study - using ICT”.

Its mandate includes facilitating access to telecommunications in under-serviced areas. It has also been tasked with providing subsidised set-top boxes for digital migration to poor households that cannot afford them.

Democratic Alliance shadow minister of communications Natasha Michael stressed that the investigation should be carried out fully and the funds be recovered.

“This is another blow to the poor, who are already expected to bear the brunt of the cost of the digital migration. The total cost of the migration is projected to be R3.5 billion.”