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Having received a letter from the Minister of Communications to initiate a process to remove Mr Rubben Mohlaloga from the Council of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), the Portfolio Committee on Communications has recommended he be removed.

The committee acted in terms of Section 8 of the Icasa Act, following the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court, which convicted Mr Mohlaloga of fraud and money laundering on 15 January 2018.

The committee took a decision on 27 February 2018 to allow Mr Mohlaloga an opportunity to make representations on why he should not be removed, wherein, among other things, he requested to be placed on precautionary leave with full pay, pending the appeal process. Today, having reconsidered his representation and consulted with Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Services Office, the committee rejected his request.

The committee also resolved to write to the Speaker’s office to request an update on the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on the South African Broadcasting Corporation Board.
 
Regarding the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse’s request to consider instituting an inquiry into the former Minister of Communications, Ms Faith Muthambi, the committee resolved to propose that the matter be put before the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests.
 

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, Humphrey Maxegwana