Business · Companies · 5 hrs ago
Sita appoints two executives to complete leadership rebuild
South Africa’s State IT Agency appointed two executives to complete a six-person leadership rebuild this financial year.
Portia Matsena joins as chief digital officer, and Itumeleng Draaijer becomes executive for strategy and corporate services; both start in November.
Sita provides information technology services to government, and years of leadership turnover have hindered its work.
A government investigation found that 86% of managing-director-level roles were once filled on an acting basis.
It also identified more than R2-billion in irregular spending over four audited years and delays in procurement.
Sita has been given deadlines to produce plans to stabilise operations and reform governance, as well as a verified account of its procurement backlog.
Separately, a Special Investigating Unit procurement probe is underway, and the sources do not say when it will conclude.
Sita appointed Portia Matsena as chief digital officer and Itumeleng Draaijer as executive for strategy and corporate services, both starting in November.
The appointments complete a rebuild of the State IT Agency’s executive team after years of leadership churn.
They are the latest of six executive appointments made this financial year by managing director Magatho Mello.
A Public Service Commission investigation found leadership churn had left 86% of MD-level roles filled in an acting capacity at one point.
The investigation also flagged more than R2-billion in irregular expenditure across four audited years.
- Who
- Sita appointed Portia Matsena and Itumeleng Draaijer to executive roles.
- What
- The appointments complete a rebuild of Sita’s executive team.
- When
- Both appointments take effect in November.
- Where
- South Africa; Sita is the State IT Agency.
- Why
- The appointments are part of efforts to stabilise Sita and prepare it to serve government in a rapidly changing digital era.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised a Special Investigating Unit probe into Sita’s procurement.
Magatho Mello was appointed Sita’s first permanent managing director in more than two years.
A Public Service Commission investigation described Sita as “functioning, but limping”.
Portia Matsena and Itumeleng Draaijer are due to join Sita in executive roles.
- New chief digital officer
- Portia Matsena
- New strategy executive
- Itumeleng Draaijer
- Executive appointments this financial year
- Six
- Acting MD-level roles
- 86% at one point
- Irregular expenditure
- More than R2-billion across four audited years
What people are saying
The work of stabilising Sita is inseparable from preparing it to serve government in a rapidly changing digital era
functioning, but limping