The minister's decision is a decisive move to stabilise the body driving transformation in South Africa's ICT sector.
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi. Picture: Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has sacked the chairperson of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B‑BBEE) ICT Sector Council, Minki Mazibuko-Thulo, with immediate effect, citing a collapse of trust and a damning investigation.
Malatsi made the announcement on Friday, 14 August 2026.
The B‑BBEE ICT Sector Council, established under the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, serves as the watchdog for transformation in South Africa’s technology industry.
It is tasked with enforcing compliance across ICT businesses to ensure alignment with equality legislation, while also driving the drafting and review of new policies that advance economic justice in the sector.
The probe found evidence of dysfunction within the group and financial reporting failures.
The results of the investigation were shared by Solly Malatsi earlier this month, in response to questions in Parliament.
Relieved of duties
The minister’s decision is a decisive move to stabilise the body driving transformation in South Africa’s ICT sector.
Malatsi said the investigation into the B-BBEE ICT sector council, which began at the start of 2025, found evidence of several key failures.
“I considered all of the serious concerns raised by current and former members of council, council stakeholders, and the findings of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies’ special investigation report into the council and the breakdown of relations between the chairperson and other council members – all of which point to the need to reconfigure the leadership of the council to ensure that it functions effectively,” Malatsi said.
New appointments
Malatsi’s spokesperson, Sheldon Morais, said the minister has appointed Loyiso Tyra as the interim chairperson of the council, and William Ledwaba as the deputy interim chairperson, jointly for a period of six months while the department completes its work on the longer-term reconfiguration of the council.
“Minister Malatsi has taken these steps to empower the council to fulfil its responsibilities, central to which is to meaningfully contribute to the transformation of the ICT sector as the custodian of the B-BBEE ICT Sector Code.
“The minister thanks Ms Mazibuko-Thulo for her service as chairperson,” Morais said.
Investigation
An investigation tabled in Parliament confirmed that the B‑BBEE ICT Sector Council was fundamentally dysfunctional, failing to meet its legislative mandate and riddled with governance and financial management problems.
In response to questions, Malatsi told MPs that the council had not developed or recommended new legislation, nor submitted annual monitoring reports as required.
The probe also found that governance failures were not isolated to the current council but had been inherited from previous terms, pointing to systemic weaknesses.
Financial irregularities
The investigation highlighted serious financial irregularities, including the absence of a revenue management strategy, poor procurement practices, and irregular authorisation of expenditure by individuals outside the council.
Instead of audited accounts, financial reporting often relied on bank statements, while the Finance Subcommittee was described as dysfunctional.
Allegations of wasteful spending were tested: advertising costs were deemed effective, and induction expenses – R66 980 for accommodation and R46 000 for flights and shuttles – were found to be justified.
Claims that council funds were deposited into private accounts were dismissed as hearsay, with no evidence to support them.
Findings
Malatsi stressed that the findings underscore the urgent need to reconfigure the council’s leadership and restore credibility. He said the failures undermine the council’s role as custodian of the B‑BBEE ICT Sector Code, which is central to driving transformation in South Africa’s technology industry.
The minister’s decisive action – including the removal of the chairperson and appointment of interim leadership – is aimed at stabilising the council and ensuring it can meaningfully contribute to economic equality in the ICT sector.
