The Black Business Council (BBC) has condemned the departure of Isaac Mophatlane from Telkom subsidiary BCX.
Telkom's CEO, Sipho Maseko, last week sent a memo to staff saying Friday was Mophatlane's last day at BCX, a company which the BBC says he and his late twin brother [Benjamin] founded years ago.
"There's no magic solution to avoid the hurt feelings, the tension, the discomfort this development has caused among our members. This is an attack on black excellence," says BBC chairman, Sello Rasethaba.
According to a statement from Maseko, Mophatlane resigned, but the BBC believes he was forced out, the group says.
"The government, as a major shareholder in Telkom, should bow its head in shame to allow Jabu Mabuza (Telkom chairman) and Maseko to erode confidence in black professionals and to leave black children without a heritage of entrepreneurial success.
"The information communication technology market has produced capable black men and women who can equally do the job with excellence. Isaac could have been replaced by a black professional from the company. But Mabuza and Maseko preferred to replace Mophatlane with a white man. It is a demonstration that they do not care about black economic empowerment. They are encouraging the exodus of black executives from Telkom," says Rasethaba.
"The BBC is categorically appealing to Mabuza and Maseko to believe in black excellence and stop the self-hatred, stop the exodus of black professionals from Telkom and restore Telkom to its former glory as a champion of BEE. We call on government and in particular Minister [Siyabonga] Cwele to stop this rot."
Ian Russell, the current group chief transition officer, replaced Isaac.
IT services company Business Connexion (BCX) was bought out by Telkom in 2015 for R2.67 billion. Isaac Mophatlane had been Group CEO of BCX since August 2014.
Together with his late brother, Benjamin, he co-founded BCX (then known as Business Connection), a computer reseller focused on government and parastatals. In June 2016, Telkom named him as CEO of the integrated Telkom Business Connexion - taking responsibility for both Business Connexion and Telkom Business.
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