Episode 2 of TechCentral’s TalkCentral podcast is live. SA’s first business technology podcast is hosted by TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod and deputy editor Candice Jones and is a weekly wrap-up of the big technology stories we’ve covered over the past week. In our second episode — the show now has its own jingle — we talk about what was arguably the busiest news week on the tech front this year.

Senior managers at Telkom must be brought to book for alleged corruption and fraud at the parastatal, the Communication Workers Union said on Friday. This included managers who were resigning, said union spokesman Matankana Mothapo, who questioned the timing of the resignations.

If you played videogames in the early 1990s, you probably spent many hours engrossed by the devious puzzles and tight storytelling of LucasArts adventure games such as Maniac Mansion, Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis and The Secret of Monkey Island. Though LucasArts itself has since become a sausage factory that churns out Stars Wars games of variable quality, some of the maverick designers and writers responsible for its classic adventure titles are still around.

The Communication Workers Union is “horror-struck by infightings” in the communications department led by minister Siphiwe Nyanda. “We have observed that there is a battle of power that is hampering progress between the director-general Mamodupi Mohlala and the minister of communications,” the union said in a statement on Friday.

With MTN’s cellular network acquisitions in emerging markets on hold, analysts say the group can probably be considered a mature business. But there are still opportunities in the business services sector, they say. MTN told shareholders on Thursday that acquisition opportunities in emerging markets are becoming harder to find.

The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) on Friday extended the time for written submissions on the draft numbering plan regulations to 26 July. The communications sector regulator said it had reviewed requests for an extension and decided to change the initial 19 July deadline.

Dimension Data’s telecommunications division Internet Solutions (IS) may make use of some of the innovative technology coming out of Japan’s Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp (NTT) as it steps up the roll-out of its own telecommunications network infrastructure. That’s the word from Didata chairman Jeremy Ord, who was speaking to TechCentral a day after the London- and Johannesburg-listed group announced it was being acquired by NTT in an all-cash deal worth R24,4bn.

The Democratic Alliance will refer communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda to the Public Protector. It wants the government watchdog to investigate tenders that Nyanda may be involved in. The DA’s shadow minister for communications, Niekie van den Berg, says the DA will decide later on Friday when it will approach the Public Protector.

Cellular network operator Cell C is about to announce the sale of its 50% stake in Virgin Mobile SA, TechCentral has learnt exclusively from a well-placed industry source. The deal must, however, still be referred to the Competition Commission for approval.

MB Technologies co-founder Leo Baxter has sold his 45% stake in the IT distribution business to Investec Bank for an undisclosed sum. The company says Baxter has decided to focus all his efforts on his medical recovery following a polo accident in 2007 which left him paralysed. The treatment has produced encouraging results and Baxter has regained some movement.