Four new members who will serve on the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) council have been sworn in, the regulator says in a statement today.
This, after they were appointed by communications and digital technologies minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
In March, the National Assembly indicated it had approved the recommendation of seven candidates for consideration to serve on the ICASA council.
They were to fill the vacancies left as a result of one councillor’s resignation and the expiry of terms of office of three councillors.
The new appointees are Thabisa Faye, Cathrine Mushi, Nompucuko Nontombana and Ntombiza Sithole. They will serve a four-year term and execute their mandate in the public interest and the ICT sector, says the ICASA statement.
Councillors Mushi and Nontombana commenced their term of office yesterday, while Faye and Sithole will commence theirs on 1 December.
They join Dr Charley Lewis, acting chairperson of the council; Peter Zimri, Luthando Mkumathela and Yolisa Kedama, bringing the total number of councillors to eight.
Says Lewis: “On behalf of the entire organisation, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the appointment of the new members to the ICASA council. Their arrival will serve to greatly strengthen the work of the authority as it regulates the ICT sector: telecommunications, broadcasting and postal services.
“We look forward to their collective contribution, to collaborate with them and to learn from the wealth of experience and expertise that each individual council member brings to the governing collective of the authority.”
“The appointment of the new councillors exemplifies our commitment to promote gender equality and the active participation of women at all levels of the ICT sector, including at the level of policy and regulation,” he adds.
Independent authority ICASA regulates SA’s telecoms, postal and broadcast industry. Its council is defined as the highest decision-making body, consisting of eight members and a chairperson.
Persons appointed to serve on the council are selected on the principles of transparency, openness and accountability, commitment to fairness and freedom of expression, according to ICASA.
The new council members come in as the regulator has encountered a number of high-profile resignations in recent months.
In June, former chairperson Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng announced his departure from the regulator, stating the need to take some time off after an enervating period.
Modimoengwas widely credited for overseeing the successful completion of South Africa’s long-awaited spectrum auction process.
The former chairperson’s resignation was followed by the departure of CEO Willington Ngwepe, one month later. Paseka Maleka, long-serving spokesperson of ICASA, also left the organisation in May.
ICASA has since appointed Lewis as acting chairperson, and advocate Nkhetheleni Norman Gidi as its acting CEO, effective from 1 September to 30 November, or until a permanent appointment has been made.
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