Rubben Mohlaloga, South Africa’s communications minister Dina Pule’s choice for a seat on the regulator’s council, began work last week, despite having a significant fraud charge hanging over his head.
Mohlaloga was appointed in June last year, despite being accused of defrauding the Land and Agricultural Bank of South Africa out of ZAR6 million (US$582,000), but his case has not been resolved and he had yet to take up his position until July 1.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow minister for communications Marian Shinn told HumanIPO there was nothing she or the communications portfolio committee could do to stop Mohlaloga taking up his role, because he was innocent until proven guilty.
She did however criticise his original nomination and appointment by communications minister Dina Pule.
Shinn said: “Irrespective of any pending criminal action I felt that he would not be an asset to the ICASA council as he was one of the weakest candidates we interviewed.
“When the shortlist was put before the National Assembly for the vote last year the DA objected to his inclusion because we felt he was inappropriately skilled and offered little in the way of solutions to ICASA’s challenges.”
At the time of the appointment the charge had not been made, but Shinn said even if it had been he still could have been given the position.
“He could only be excluded from the list if he was found guilty before the vote was taken in Parliament,” Shinn added.
“The best way forward, I said at the time, was for the minister to persuade him to decline the ICASA job until his name has been cleared, if he is indeed innocent. I don’t know whether any attempts were made to persuade him to step aside.”
