The supreme courtroom of attraction has denied the minister of communications & digital applied sciences’ software for go away to attraction in a matter concerning the State IT Company (Sita) board sacked by former minister – and now deputy minister – Mondli Gungubele in July 2023 over then-incoming Sita CEO Bongani Mabaso’s wage.
The order aligns with a ruling by the excessive courtroom in June that ordered sacked board members Makano Mosidi, Rendani Ramabulana and Olwethu Ketsekile, who have been the primary, second and third respondents within the case, respectively, be reinstated.
Like the sooner excessive courtroom ruling, the supreme courtroom of attraction ordered the communications ministry to pay all prices.
“The applying for go away to attraction is dismissed with prices on the grounds that there isn’t any affordable prospect of success in an attraction and there’s no different compelling motive why an attraction needs to be heard,” mentioned the courtroom order.
In July 2023, Gungubele fired the members of the Sita board, inflicting others subsequently to resign, over a spat concerning Mabaso’s wage.
In accordance with Gungubele, the board “unilaterally” determined to lift the wage provided to Mabaso – who subsequently resigned and went again to the non-public sector as group chief expertise officer of JSE-listed Altron – by R1-million with out consulting the minister. This session, he mentioned, is required beneath Sita’s memorandum of incorporation.
That is regardless of the board’s November 2022 suggestion of Mabaso for the CEO place at a wage of R3.5-million/12 months. Mabaso was really provided R4.5-million, in line with courtroom papers seen by TechCentral.
Ruffled feathers
Gungubele’s choice ruffled feathers in parliament. In February, TechCentral reported {that a} authorized opinion by a parliamentary authorized crew opposed Gungubele’s plan of action, saying he ought to abide by the excessive courtroom ruling and reinstate the fired board whereas pursuing the appeals course of. This didn’t occur.
Within the interim, there have been management modifications within the communications ministry following the Might election, the result of which led to the formation of the federal government of nationwide unity. Solly Malatsi, a Democratic Alliance MP, is now minister of communications, with former minister Gungubele, an ANC MP, as his deputy.
Learn: Court docket tells minister to take a hike in Sita case
In a press release on the weekend, the communications division mentioned Malatsi famous the supreme courtroom’s judgment and can abide by it. “The authorized groups of each events will now have interaction on the following steps to navigate the method required for the implementation of the judgment,” the division mentioned, suggesting an attraction to the constitutional courtroom just isn’t being thought of. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
