Icasa chairman granted reprieve

MONDAY APRIL 30 2018 CONVICTED fraudster Rubben Mohlaloga has been granted a reprieve to stay on as chairman and a councillor of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) board.

This after Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane gave Mohlaloga five days to explain why he should not be suspended from the board.

Yesterday, Mokonyane’s spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase said the minister wrote the letter to Mohlaloga on Friday.

The move came days after the National Assembly put on hold the report of the communications portfolio committee recommending his removal from the board.

In the National Assembly last week, ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu tabled a motion requesting the report on Mohlaloga be referred back to the portfolio committee for further consideration.

In January, the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court convicted Mohlaloga and three others of defrauding the Land Bank of R6 million meant for poor, black emerging farmers.

The crime was committed when the former ANC Youth League deputy president was chairperson of Parliament’s agriculture portfolio committee.

When he was convicted, then communications minister Mmaloko Kubayi-Ngubane notified the National Assembly of the court outcome and asked for a process to remove him be started.

Speaker Baleka Mbete asked the committee to institute his removal.

The committee asked Mohlaloga to make a representation on why he should not be removed.

He gave his version of events and asked to make a further submission.

He also asked to be placed on precautionary suspension with full pay because he intended to appeal against his conviction.

But this was rejected by the portfolio committee on advice from the parliamentary legal services.

Yesterday, committee chairman Humphrey Maxegwana said withholding Mohlaloga’s removal was to allow the court processes to run their course.

“If there is an appeal, you put on hold the parliamentary processes,” Maxegwana said.

He, however, said Mokonyane could suspend Mohlaloga while he was appealing.

Ndamase said the letter was written while aware of the court processes.

Maxegwana defended Parliament’s U-turn on its recommendation against the Icasa chairman. “There was no appeal when we made the recommendation.

“When there is an appeal you can’t proceed with removing him,” he said.

Parliament did not want to find itself hauled before courts, he added.