Mohlaloga, convicted of fraud, ‘cannot serve’ as Icasa chair

Rubben Mohlaloga cannot serve as the new chairman of the council of communications regulator Icasa because he has been convicted of fraud, Democratic Alliance MP Phumzile Van Damme said on Friday.

Mohlaloga was this week convicted of fraud, Van Damme, who is the DA’s spokeswoman on communications, said in a statement.

“According to a statement released by the Hawks, Mohlaloga and three others, have been found guilty of defrauding the Land Bank of approximately R6m in 2008,” she said.

“The three transferred funds from the Agri-BEE fund, money intended for poor farmers, into a trust account and bought a farm for R2m as well as an X5 BMW and a BMW 118i for Mohlaloga, who was an ANC MP and the chairperson of the portfolio committee on agriculture at the time.

“The fact that he has been found guilty of fraud means that he no longer qualifies to serve on the Icasa council.”

TechCentral reported in December that Mohlaloga was set to be appointed as Icasa chairman by communications minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane.

Mabuse Nkuna, the director-general in the department of telecommunications & postal services posted on Facebook at the time that he had met with “the newly appointed Icasa chair Rubben Mohlaloga” and said he looked forward “to working with him and the rest of the Icasa team”.

Mohlaloga told TechCentral he will comment on the developments on Monday.

Term expired

Mohlaloga, who has previously served as an Icasa councillor, left the regulator in August after his term expired.

He first joined the Icasa council in July 2013 and became acting chairman in June 2016.

Van Damme said on Friday that the Icasa Act prohibits anyone who has been convicted of “theft, fraud, forgery or uttering a forged document, perjury, an offence in terms of the Corruption Act or any other offence involving dishonesty” from serving on regulator’s decision-making council.

“Seeing that Mohlaloga is yet to be formally appointed to the Icasa council by President Jacob Zuma, the responsibility now rests on him to immediately halt his appointment,” she said. “The DA will write to Zuma requesting that he does not appoint Mohlaloga to the Icasa council.”

Other candidates interviewed by parliament last year for three vacant council positions were Thembeka Simane, Andrew Phetho, Cawekazi Mahlati, Natalie-Ann Delport, Mashilo Boloka, Nomonde Gongxeka-Seope, Thabo Makhakhe, Peter Hlapolosa, Lulama Mokhobo, Ashraf Patel, Kate Skinner and Phosa Mashangoane. — (c) 2018 NewsCentral Media