By Mpho Moloi
In a significant move aimed at restoring good governance within the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA), Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi has dismissed two board members, Daphne Kula-Rantho and Boitumelo Mabusela. This decision comes amidst allegations of financial misconduct, marking one of the Minister’s first major actions since assuming his role.
According to a statement released by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), the two board members, both of whom are civil servants, were found to have engaged in additional remunerative work without the necessary approvals from their respective employers. This contravenes the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), specifically Clause 13 of the Governance Agreement, which empowers the Minister to dismiss board members due to financial misconduct.
Minister Malatsi explained that over the past few weeks, he had repeatedly engaged with the individuals in question, offering them opportunities to provide evidence of the necessary approvals for their additional income. Despite these opportunities, neither Kula-Rantho nor Mabusela was able to provide the required documentation. Further investigations revealed that no such approval had been granted by their employers, a fact also pursued by Malatsi’s predecessor, Mondli Gungubele.
The Auditor-General flagged the board fees earned by Kula-Rantho and Mabusela, totaling R1,651,960.89, as irregular expenditure. This includes R1,288,966.87 received by Kula-Rantho from March 2021 to July 2024, and R362,994.02 by Mabusela from October 2023 to July 2024. Minister Malatsi has instructed the Director-General of the DCDT to initiate processes to recover these funds. Additionally, an independent investigation into allegations of abuse of state resources by another board member, Simphiwe Thobela, has been ordered.
The Minister emphasized the government’s zero-tolerance stance on the misuse of public funds, stating, “We will not tolerate the abuse of public funds for the benefit of individuals who fail to uphold the laws of our country.” He further added that the process to replace the dismissed board members would commence immediately to ensure stability and strengthen governance at USAASA.
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