Civil Service Association, The only trade union represented by the National IT Agency has expressed concern over the appointment of Simphiwe Njengwa as Acting MD of the Government IT Procurement Agency.
PSA spokesperson Zamani Dladla said the agency's concerns centered on Njengwa's alleged political connections.
Also of concern to the union are potential conflicts of interest arising from Mr Njengwa's position as chair of the task team appointed by Communications Minister Mondli Gungubele to investigate long-standing procurement issues at Sita. be.
“We've never had anyone come from outside.” [an organisation] In an interview with TechCentral, Dladla said, “He was hired as MD without any internal review of whether we had the talent for the position.''
“If you look at this again, [Dzengwa’s] Looking at his profile, we see that he has close ties to politicians, and that's what concerns us the most. ”
Prior to joining Sita, Mr Njengwa served as Special Adviser to Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who served as Minister of Communications overseeing Sita from 2018 to 2021.
“That makes us suspicious. What's really going on here?” said Dladla.
A ministerial task team was established on 6 December 2023, and Mr Njengwa was appointed its chair. His appointment as acting MD comes two months after his appointment, raising concerns of a potential conflict of interest.
“Purged”
TechCentral reached out to the Department of Communications and Digital Technology for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
However, Sita spokesperson Tlali Tlali said other candidates for the role of interim doctor were considered before the decision to appoint Njengwa was made. He said Mr Djenwa was no longer a member of the ministerial task team, which meant there was no conflict of interest.
However, Dladla said Sita officials attached to the PSA said the working environment at the agency had become “hostile” since the task team's arrival.
Read: Sita CEO Bongani Mabaso resigns after just 9 months
He claimed staff were being “purged” and some wanted to resign because the task force was “turning their backs on us”.
A “terms of reference” document seen by TechCentral that sets out the purpose and scope of the task team gives the team the power to make changes to its staff. Its powers and responsibilities include:
- Assessing the root causes of supply chain management backlog size at Sita.
- Recommend reliable and effective measures to resolve outstanding issues as quickly as possible.
- Recommend rules to ensure compliance with procurement laws.
- Reviewing Sita's procurement systems, processes and people, including the appointment of consultants to support the process.
Regardless of whether the task team was acting within its powers, the PSA said the legality with which those powers were granted was questionable. “It is not clear in the terms of appointment or media statements released by the minister what provisions the minister used to appoint these people,” Dladla said.
Read: High Court overturns Gungubele's removal as Theta director
But Sita spokesperson Tlali cited the minister's status as a “shareholder representative” to government agencies as the source of her legal authority.
“The Minister… has the power to appoint such a body and will consider all relevant factors, including the best skill set and experience for the job,” Tlali said.
But PSA's concerns don't end there.
He said the focus of the ministerial task team was suspiciously narrow, citing other issues such as lack of adequate staffing that were contributing to the procurement hold-up.
“They basically focus on where the money is. That's our problem, so why don't they care about other problems?” Dladla said.
However, according to Dladla's own admission, the PSA raised the issue of staff shortages with the task team at its first meeting in January, which also acknowledged the problem.
According to the terms of reference, the task team is to carry out its investigation within three months from December 6, but could be extended for a further three months at the minister's discretion.
“Given the urgency of the mission and the impact of delays endured by customer sectors, the Ministerial Task Team moved quickly to consult and engage with as many internal Theta stakeholders as possible to understand the situation on the land being supplied. “-Chain Space,'' Tlali said.
Sita has been rocked by board and leadership changes in recent months. In December, CEO Bongani Mabaso resigned after just nine months on the job. And last week, High Court Judge Julian Yende overturned a July 2023 decision to remove Mr Gungubele from the board and replace him. The court ordered that the new board be suspended and the old board reinstated. The PSA said it was outraged that a replacement director had been hired by the minister without any vacancy being announced.
'interference'
“The interference started from the moment this new committee was formed. Employees were suspended without any reason,” Dladla alleged. “Right now, there are people who are sitting at home and receiving their salaries from Sita, but they have not been charged with any crime. [suspended] Employees are just getting in the way of people accessing what they want to access on Sita. ”
Dladla said PSA's biggest concern was that the minister's unilateral appointment of a new board (the same board that approved Jenwa's appointment as acting MD) would siphon funds from PSA. It's part of a larger plan.
Read: Sita appoints Simphiwe Njengwa as interim doctor
“We call on the Minister to disband this Ministerial Task Team and ask the Board to reconsider its decision to appoint Mr. Jenwa as Acting MD. Please advertise the position because you are in the position, but in the meantime, please appoint someone within Theta who understands the culture of the organization,” Dladla said. – © 2024 News Central Media