Hanekom to TIA bosses: You’re fired!

23 April 2014 News

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), tasked with stimulating South African technological innovation, has seen both its CEO and CFO fired by Derek Hanekom, minister of Science and Technology, with three more TIA staff members allowed to keep their jobs despite being handed sanctions, and another still undergoing a disciplinary process.

The sackings follow a thorough investigation by Delloite into the practices of certain officers at the agency, which was initiated by allegations first levelled against them in May 2013. These allegations included charges of nepotism, intimidation of external auditors, and irregularities in terms of investment transactions, procurement of goods and services, and CEO Simphiwe Duma’s expenses.

The six staff members under suspicion were subsequently placed on suspension pending Hanekom’s final decision, which was made in consultation with the TIA board. The minister said in a statement that “it is with regret that I have to announce that Mr Simphiwe Duma was dismissed from the Agency with effect from 31 March 2014. As a direct consequence of these investigations, the services of the CFO of TIA, Ms Barbara Kortjass, have also been terminated by the TIA board.”

Until Hanekom and the board decide on the ideal replacements for the CEO and CFO positions, they have appointed Mkhululi Mazibuko, the agency’s chief operations officer, as acting CEO, and Werner van der Merwe as acting CFO.

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