Lyndall Shope-Mafole will continue as director-general of the Department of Communications (DOC), despite her resignation from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to join the new political party mainly made up of dissidents.
Political observers, members of her own department and many others, particularly in the ICT industry, were shocked to learn on Friday that Shope-Mafole had resigned her position within the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC), where she chaired the political education sub-committee.
On Saturday, she joined the new political party that was formed out of a convention held in Sandton, where she chaired some of the discussions surrounding it. So-called ANC dissidents, including former ANC chairman and also former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, are forming the new political party.
“Shocked” and “surprised” were the descriptions of feelings given by her own DOC staff over the weekend, who privately say they had no inkling their director-general, who has an impeccable ANC pedigree, would jump ship. Click here to read her resignation letter.
Shope-Mafole's parents were well-known ANC stalwarts, with her father being a long-term member of the SA Communist Party. She grew up in Cuba, where she trained as a telecommunications engineer and was involved in the ANC Youth Section and later the Youth League.
Letter of intent
In an effort to explain her situation to her staff, Shope-Mafole sent out a letter this morning to staff, saying: “It is with a painful heart that I tender my resignation from the ANC and its NEC.”
She said that while she remains committed to the ideals of the ANC, she was troubled by some events.
“I, however, find it difficult to associate myself with some of the things that are being done or said today in the name of the ANC,” she wrote in her letter.
Shope-Mafole told ITWeb this morning that she informed communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri of her decision on Friday and was wished the “best of luck”.
“My relationship with the minister remains professional,” she says.
The post of director-general is the highest-ranking public servant within a department and is theoretically a non-political one. However, many of the posts have been filled on a political basis, with the ANC using the term “deployed” to describe the appointment to such a position.
Shope-Mafole says when she took up the position four years ago, she was already employed within the DOC and had applied for the position.
Much work
The DOC has a raft of issues that it has to deal with. These include the rollout of digital terrestrial TV, the switch on of which occurred last week; the oversight of the building of new undersea cables; upholding the communications guarantees for the 2010 Fifa World Cup; and the issue surrounding whether value-added network services (VANS) are allowed to build their own telecommunications networks.
Shope-Mafole says business will continue as usual and that, while she is disappointed the DOC's appeal of the VANS licences was rejected last week, the independence of the judiciary is respected.
“We will still look at changing the Electronic Communications Act to clear up the 'ambiguity' surrounding the VANS licences and some other minor issues in the Act. However, there is no rush to do so,” she says.
Shope-Mafole says further announcements regarding the undersea cables and especially Uhurunet, the project that aims to encircle the African continent with a fibre-optic ring, will be made before year-end.
The Democratic Alliance and the Inkatha Freedom Party say they will release statements later today in reaction to Shope-Mafole's political move.
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