The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) says the government CIO (GCIO) role is currently occupied in an acting capacity, on rotation by senior officials within the department.
This, as GCIO Mandla Ngcobo has been seconded to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat for the next two years.
ITWeb learned that Ngcobo is now stationed in Gaborone, Botswana, as part of the secondment, with plans to return to his post after the temporary mission.
According to the DPSA, the government CIO role is being assumed by colleagues in an acting capacity, while it considers an acting appointment.
“Mr Ngcobo is still the appointed GCIO. Whilst he is on secondment, [the] role is being played by colleagues in an acting capacity.”
The SADC Secretariat describes itself as the principal executive institution of SADC, responsible for strategic planning, co-ordination and management of SADC programmes. It’s also responsible for the implementation of decisions of SADC policy and institutions, such as the Summit, the Troikas and Council of Ministers.
As part of his secondment, Ngcobo is to provide support with respect to digitisation of regional governments, including rolling out e-government and developing SADC-wide policies on e-services and regional integration, notes the department.
Says the DPSA: “South Africa plays a role in the development of regional policies on various aspects. Recently, the Open Government Partnership recognised SA as a leader in the continent on open government through its eGovernment and eServices processes that make information easily accessible.
“Mr Ngcobo's role is to ensure open government is institutionalised SADC-wide, which is part of the Strategic International Relations Outlook of the government to entrench democracy and improve accessibility to quality services across SADC and the continent.”
Ngcobo, deputy director-general: CIO of the DPSA, took up the GCIO role in 2018, filling a role that was occupied on an acting and contract basis for a number of years. Michelle Williams was the previous permanent government IT head from November 2007 to April 2011.
At the time, the DPSA said Ngcobo’s appointment marked a crucial step for government ICT policy.
The department said with over 25 years’ experience in the public and private sectors, Ngcobo brought a vast understanding of corporate governance, formulation and implementation of IT governance processes, policies and structures to the GCIO role.
His experience in the public sector includes ICT-focused positions in government departments. Before joining the DPSA, Ngcobo was CIO of the Department of Labour. Prior to that, he was director of IT at the Department of Health.
Within the private sector, Ngcobo was employed as a senior specialist in risk management at Vodacom.
Ngcobo holds a Master of Management in ICT Policy and Regulation from the University of Witwatersrand, a BTech degree in Business Information Systems from the Tshwane University of Technology, as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Zululand.
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