Keabetswe Modimoeng has been appointed as interim chair of communications regulator Icasa’s decision-making council following the axing last week of Rubben Mohlaloga.
He will serve in the role until a permanent replacement is found.
The appointment follows a special council meeting on Monday morning.
Modimoeng said in a statement that he will ensure that Icasa continues to “execute its mandate independently and in the public interest”.
“We are governed by legislation and guided by the public interest mandate and for that we will continue to put the South African public first when taking decisions,” he said.
“We will continue to work closely with all key stakeholders (including government) to ensure that the authority’s regulatory decisions advance transformation in the ICT sector, support economic growth and unlock opportunities presented by the fourth Industrial Revolution and the digital economy.”
Modimoeng holds an MBA and a PhD in management sciences. He is a Harvard senior executive fellow.
His appointment comes after communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams last week fired Mohlaloga, who was convicted of fraud and money laundering on 15 January 2018. He was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court on 14 February 2019.
In terms of the Icasa Act, a councillor who is convicted of, among others, fraud is disqualified from holding office. — (c) 2019 NewsCentral Media
