Industry concern is mounting as the State IT Agency (SITA) keeps mum on its progress in finding a suitable replacement for outgoing CEO, Mavuso Msimang.
SITA's longest-serving CEO, Msimang announced in February that he had decided not to renew his contract with the organisation and would step down as soon as a suitable replacement had been found. Since then, he has been appointed director-general of Home Affairs and is expected to take up this position next week.
However, several industry players have expressed concern that, in the eight months since Msimang informed the board of his departure, little appears to have been done to find a replacement.
"Msimang's contract with SITA ended in September last year and he informed the board that he would not extend his contract. It took SITA five months to make the announcement to the public and now it looks like the replacement process has been left hanging too," said one source who asked to remain unnamed.
Democratic Alliance MP and spokesman on Public Service and Administration Karel Minnie has added his voice to the growing concerns.
"It is unacceptable that the board has known that Msimang is leaving for so long and done so little to address the matter. We will be putting questions forward to Public Service and Administration minister, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, on what she intends to do about this situation."
History repeating itself?
Another IT player notes that SITA has a difficult history that could be disastrous to the ICT industry if repeated.
He explains: "It has become the norm in government that whenever a sitting CEO leaves a board member takes the position. However, in SITA's case, history shows this has resulted in disaster. My biggest fear is that this will happen again and all Msimang's good work will be undone."
Not all industry players share these concerns though. Business Connexion deputy-CEO, Benjamin Mophatlane, says the organisation is in far better shape than it was five or six years ago, and Msimang has implemented policies and processes which will prevent the degeneration of the organisation.
Ministerial intervention
Meanwhile, Public Service and Administration spokesman, Lewis Rabkin, says the situation is largely a consequence of circumstances.
"Minister Fraser-Moleketi was well aware of Msimang's departure; however, it was expected that he would only leave in September this year. The position at the Department of Home Affairs has brought this date forward and the minister says she is keeping a close eye on the situation. She would also like to assure industry that she is working closely with the board of SITA on the matter," he said late last night.
An executive search agent says that, given enough pressure and candidate availability, a position such as that currently available at SITA could take as little as six to 10 weeks to fill. Nevertheless, she warned that a government appointment would require approval from the relevant minister and Cabinet sign-off. These requirements could sometimes lead to a delay.
SITA chairwoman, Thenjiwe Chikane, has confirmed the board will require approval from Fraser-Moleketi and Cabinet before a permanent candidate can take the top spot at the agency.
"In light of the process to appoint a new CEO, we believe it prudent not to speculate on a likely timeframe to conclude the appointment. Notwithstanding, we are making every effort to expedite the matter," she said.
According to Chikane, an executive placement agency has been contracted to manage and oversee the recruitment process, and both internal and external candidates are being considered for the role.
Rabkin says Fraser-Moleketi will address the SITA workforce tomorrow when the board is expected to announce the appointment of an acting CEO.
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