Telkom acting CEO Jeffrey Hedberg says the telecommunications group is implementing a five-year plan to refocus its energy on growing commercial returns.

He says despite the troubles of recent weeks — not least the leaking of damaging dossiers — management and Telkom’s board are now more aligned and the “healing process” has begun.

He was speaking at the group’s annual year-end media lunch, held near Kyalami, north of Johannesburg.

“In the past five months there has been momentum brought into the company. I think there is a lot more engagement and a lot more clarity between management and the board,” he says.

Hedberg says he has had some time to define and refine Telkom’s strategy. The plan is to focus on what is commercially viable.

This means pulling the plug on the wireless business of Multi-Links in Nigeria, which has been bleeding red ink all over Telkom’s income statement.

Hedberg says the Telkom board has stepped up to the plate on Multi-Links. “The board is taking its responsibilities seriously.”

He says management and the board have decided to embrace “transparency” as a culture in the business. “I want to push transparency – and transparency hurts and we are seeing that right now.”

He says he hopes the group will have the courage to face the problems of the past.

Telkom was left reeling this week in the wake of three dossiers that make a number of allegations of impropriety by current and former executives.

“And while we will confront conclusively the issues of the past it is important that we don’t spend all of our time focusing on the past, because that will have a very damaging impact on the future of Telkom,” says Hedberg. — Candice Jones, TechCentral