The chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) have been dismissed, the science and technology ministry said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
CEO Simphiwe Duma and CFO Barbara Kortjass were both dismissed last month after disciplinary processes were concluded, minister Derek Hanekom said.<\/p>\n
In May 2013, the TIA board received several allegations levelled against the former CEO and five other agency officials.<\/p>\n
Deloitte was appointed in July to investigate allegations of nepotism, intimidation of external auditors, irregular investment transactions, Duma’s expenses, and procurement of goods and services.<\/p>\n
Disciplinary proceedings against six staff members, including the CEO and CFO of TIA, were conducted after the report by Deloitte.<\/p>\n
“This report was considered and accepted by the board of the agency at its meeting of March 26.<\/p>\n
“They then recommended to me that the CEO be dismissed. I concurred with this recommendation,” Hanekom said.<\/p>\n
As a direct consequence of the investigations, the services of Kortjass were also terminated by the board.<\/p>\n
“Five of the disciplinary hearings (including the internal process) have now been concluded.<\/p>\n
“Three staff members were handed appropriate sanctions and are all back in their positions in TIA,” Hanekom said.<\/p>\n
One staff member was still undergoing the disciplinary process, he said.<\/p>\n
“With my concurrence, the TIA board appointed Mr Mkhululi Mazibuko, the agency’s chief operations officer, as the acting CEO.<\/p>\n
“Mr Werner van der Merwe has been the acting CFO during the absence of the former CFO,” Hanekom said.<\/p>\n
The agency would now focus on the recruitment of a suitably skilled and qualified individual.<\/p>\n
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