The Public Service Commission has acknowledged the governance issues at the State IT Agency and voiced concern about cybersecurity in government.

This comes after communications minister Solly Malatsi called on the PSC to investigate the agency, which is responsible for government IT procurement and services.

“The PSC welcomes the call from Malatsi to investigate governance challenges at Sita,” the PSC said in statement. “The PSC recognises the critical role Sita plays in supporting government departments to deliver essential services to citizens. Governance issues at Sita, if left unaddressed, threaten to undermine these vital services.”

TechCentral reported on Thursday that Malatsi called for the investigation following requests by various government departments and agencies, including the South African Police Service and the department of home affairs asking that their IT procurement processes be divorced from Sita as its inefficiencies were having a negative impact on them.

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber last month told parliament that Sita’s monopoly over public sector IT services meant that government departments were operating “with one hand tied behind our backs”.

“Sita is an artificial construct that stands squarely in the way of technological progress, not only at home affairs, but across government,” said Schreiber.

In his statement, Malatsi said: “Sita faces mounting challenges, including governance concerns, irregular procurement practices, operational inefficiencies and an alarming deterioration in service delivery. These issues, if left unaddressed, pose a threat to the agency’s mission and its ability to deliver value to South Africans.”

Key issues

Malatsi identified key challenges:

Service delivery failures: Numerous client departments, including the ministries of police, home affairs and justice, have sought exemptions from using Sita services due to its alleged inefficiency. “This reflects the agency’s inability to meet expectations and undermines trust in its capabilities,” said Malatsi.
Governance challenges: Allegations of corruption, maladministration and interference at board level have raised red flags about accountability and transparency within the organisation.
Leadership instability: High turnover at executive and senior management levels has left critical positions filled by people in an acting capacity. Divisions within the executive committee are leading to organisational instability and poor decision making, he said.
Irregular procurement practices: Sita’s alleged failure to follow proper procurement procedures has resulted in contracts being irregularly awarded, tarnishing its reputation and raising legal concerns.
Deteriorating audit outcomes: Sita failed to submit its 2023/2024 annual report, highlighting a “worrying decline in financial accountability”.
Missed performance targets: Consistently “underwhelming” results against predetermined objectives have further eroded confidence in the agency.

“Recognising the urgency of these matters, I have formally requested the Public Service Commission to investigate a range of issues affecting Sita,” said Malatsi. The PSC has been mandated to investigate the issues identified at Sita as well as determine the root cause of operational inefficiencies.

In its response, the PSC cited its ongoing work at Sita, which stems from a 2022 report accepted by former communications minister Mondli Gungubele that highlighted governance issues and their impact on cybersecurity across the state’s IT infrastructure.

Read: Malatsi orders Sita probe amid governance concerns

“The investigation that is called for complements the PSC’s work which is advancing currently on assessing the state’s capacity and capability to address cybersecurity challenges. The PSC looks forward to working with the minister to ensure a comprehensive and impactful investigation,” it said. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media

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