In his first Since taking over as Communications Minister, Solly Malatsi has fired two board members of the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA), an important step in that direction.

The ministry said in a statement on Monday evening that the decision to dismiss Daphne Kula-Rantho and Boitumelo Mabusela was made “in order to restore stability and good governance to the institution.”

Usaasa collects funds from licensed telecommunications companies and is supposed to use the money to fund the rollout of infrastructure and services in underserved parts of the country. It has been the site of numerous corruption scandals since its inception in 1996.

“I have removed individuals who are currently employed as public servants for failing to obtain consent and provide proof of permission from their employers to perform additional gainful employment outside their official duties, as required by law,” Malatsi said in a statement.

The minister dismissed two directors using the Public Management Act. According to the statement, all money earned by Kula-Ranto and Mabusela during their tenure at Usaasa was flagged by the auditor general as irregular expenditure.

Kula-Ranto allegedly earned 1.29 million rand from March 2021 to July 2024, while Mabusela allegedly earned 366,994 rand from October 2023 to July 2024. The auditor-general ordered the department of communications to recover this money, totalling 1.65 million rand, from the dismissed individuals.

Separate investigation

Malatsi, together with acting Usaasa CEO Luyanda Ndlovu, also launched a separate investigation to establish the truth of accusations of misuse of state resources against another Usaasa board member, Simphiwe Thobela.

“We will not tolerate the misuse of public funds in favor of those who do not respect the laws of our country. In order to restore stability and strengthen good governance in Usaasa, we will immediately begin processes to replace the two (fired) board members,” Malatsi said. © 2024 NewsCentral Media

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