"We are extremely pleased to have Professor Pather and Dr Celli appointed to the USAASA Board by the Minister of Communications. Their extensive experience in the ICT sector, universal service and universal access challenges in South Africa and research experience will greatly enhance the expertise of the board,” said Cassandra Gabriel, Chairperson of the board.
Their addition to the board will add value to the work of the agency, especially during this time when USAASA is turning itself around and repositioning its strategy to become a well-resourced and effective facilitator of universal service and universal access for all," she said.
The Minister has also extended the term of office for Mr Bheki Maduna, ensuring that for the first time USAASA has a full complement of seven (7) board members. “Mr Maduna has played a vital role in the USAASA Audit Committee of the board and we are very grateful to have him back again,” said the chairperson.
The board has also appointed Ms Ren'e Strydom as an independent member to the Audit and Risk Management Sub-Committee of the USAASA Board. Ms Strydom currently holds the position of Executive: Company Strategy at Telkom SA, and has extensive experience in internal auditing, transformation management and business planning and strategy.
The Board of USAASA extends its gratitude towards the outgoing board member, Mr Andy Mooke, for his most valuable contribution to the agency during his term and wishes Mr Mooke every success in his future.
Professor Sean Pather is currently Associate Professor & Head Contract Research & Partnerships Research Unit, Faculty of Informatics & Design and has been with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology since January 2002. Professor Pather has held posts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), the Strelitzia Secondary School (KZN) and the Chris J Botha Senior Secondary (Gauteng). Professor Pather has consulted extensively on community-based IT and training initiatives and has worked with government, civil society and business. Prof Pather's professional experience includes human resource management, project management, financial planning and management as well as marketing management.
Dr Gabriele Celli is currently an Executive in the Regulatory and Public Policy Division of Telkom SA. Dr Celli joined the Department of Posts and Telecommunications as an engineer in 1967 and worked in the technical division until 1991. In 1989 he joined the newly formed Corporate Strategy division, and subsequently was responsible for establishing the strategic planning function in Telkom. In 1993 Dr Celli participated in establishing the National Telecommunications Forum (NTF), a body representative of all stakeholders in the telecommunications sector; its main objective was to develop policy options for the restructuring of the sector in South Africa. In 1994 Dr Celli was appointed by the then former Minister of Communications Pallo Jordan to the technical task team responsible for developing the consultative Green Paper on Telecommunications Policy, and subsequently to the technical task team that developed the White Paper on Telecommunications Policy, which formed the basis for the Telecommunications Act, 103 of 1996.
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