Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications & digital applied sciences is looking for authorized recommendation because it strikes to launch an inquiry into governance issues on the embattled State IT Company (Sita).
This intervention follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement in his state of the nation handle final week promising government-wide digital reforms that goal to “remodel the connection between residents and authorities, and create one authorities that’s accessible to each particular person at a contact”.
Since most public sector IT procurement should undergo Sita, inefficiencies there threaten to place a dampener on Ramaphosa’s digitisation plans and will throttle the financial progress that authorities hopes to spark by these digital reforms.
“Consistent with parliament’s full authorized authority to conduct its personal investigations and cognisant of the doctrine of separation of powers, such an inquiry [will] deal with the workers considerations that organised labour have raised with the committee, the excessive workers turnover at government stage, and the governance and operational inefficiencies which have led some authorities departments to think about making use of for exemption from utilizing Sita as the federal government’s most well-liked companion for the supply of knowledge and expertise options,” mentioned communications portfolio chair Khusela Diko mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
Ramaphosa mentioned the digitisation efforts on the division of house affairs might be “on the coronary heart” of presidency’s digital overhaul. These embrace the introduction of digital IDs, driver’s licences and digital visas, with the latter aimed toward rushing up the method of hiring international expertise, particularly within the IT sector.
Interventions
Residence affairs minister Leon Schreiber final November referred to as for the decentralisation of public sector IT procurement companies from Sita, saying the coupling to Sita meant authorities departments have been working “with one hand behind our backs”.
“Sita is a man-made assemble that stands squarely in the best way of technological progress, not solely at house affairs, however throughout authorities,” mentioned Schreiber.
Learn: Sources allege contemporary malfeasance at Sita
In a December assertion ordering the Public Service Fee to launch a probe into Sita’s affairs, communications minister Solly Malatsi additionally mentioned “quite a few” authorities departments have sought exemptions from utilizing Sita’s procurement companies as a consequence of its alleged inefficiencies. These embrace house affairs, the police service and the justice division. These interventions, nevertheless, require adjustments to laws, a time-consuming course of.
Within the meantime, in line with Diko’s assertion, the portfolio committee on 12 February adopted an oversight committee report on Sita that units out remedial interventions that Malatsi is anticipated to implement as soon as the nationwide meeting has adopted the report.
Included within the report are suggestions on:
- A Cliff Decker Hofmeyr report on Sita’s awarding of an allegedly irregular tender value R1.2-billion for the supply of local-area community companies to Western Cape colleges.
- The event of interim measures to make sure there isn’t a governance vacuum whereas a brand new board and MD are appointed at Sita; and
- Establishing whether or not it’s fascinating to pay charges to members of the board who have been relieved of their duties by former communications minister Mondli Gungubele however reinstated following a excessive courtroom ruling final June.
Learn: Every part Ramaphosa mentioned about tech in his 2025 Sona speech
“The chairperson (Diko) welcomes the division’s assurances that the method of appointing a brand new board is at a sophisticated stage, with cupboard at the moment contemplating the appointment of an interim board,” mentioned the assertion. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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