Convicted fraudster Rubben Mohlaloga finally fired as chairperson of South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa.

The convicted fraudster Rubben Mohlaloga has finally been fired from South Africa's broadcasting regulator where he has been the chairperson of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

Rubben Mohlaloga has been kept on and served as chairperson of Icasa for months and got paid although he's been convicted and sentenced for fraud.

Rubben Mohlaloga was convicted of fraud and money laundering on 15 January 2018. He was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 14 February 2019 for money laundering and defrauding the Land Bank of R6 million.

Last week South Africa's parliament finally decided to suspend Rubben Mohlaloga after months of being kept on in his position since his conviction and since he was appointed in December 2017, with his suspension that became effective from 15 March.

Stella-Ndabeni-Abrahams, South Africa's current minister of communications finally fired Rubben Mohlaloga by removing him from his position.

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams' decision follows a resolution on Wednesday by the Nasional Assembly in South Africa's parliament. Icasa will now choose a new chairperson for the Icasa council.

South Africa's ministry of communications in a statement on Wednesday said that Stella-Ndabeni Abrahams "has, in accordance with section 8(3)(b) of the Icasa Act, No. 13 of 2002 given effect to the National Assembly resolution and removed Rubben Mohlaloga from office".

"In terms of section 6(1)(j) of the Icasa Act, a councillor who is convicted of, amongst others, fraud; is disqualified from holding office," said Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams in the statement, echoing what the TV industry, opposition political parties, industry experts and public broadcasting and media watchdog organisations have told the department of communications for months.

Parliament finally decides that convicted fraudster Rubben Mohlaloga should be fired as chairperson of South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa, immediately.

South Africa's parliament on Tuesday decided that the convicted fraudster, Rubben Mohlaloga, should be fired as chairperson of the country's broadcasting regulator and that he must be suspended with immediate effect from his position at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

On Tuesday parliament's portfolio committee on communications decided to finally get rid of the convicted fraudster who was sentenced to 20 years in prison n the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Courtfor money laundering and defrauding the Land Bank of R6 million, yet continues to hold the position as chairperson of South Africa's broadcasting regulator since he was appointed in December 2017.

Parliament's committee finally agreed in a long-overdue decision that "the fraud conviction is extremely serious and involves a substantial amount of public money that was appropriated for the benefit of emerging black farmers".

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications said it recommends that Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, South Africa's latest minister of communications, suspend Rubben Mohlaloga immediately as Icasa chairperson,until he can be fired by parliament's Nasional Assembly.

Hlengiwe Mkhize, chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, said that "by the end of today, it will be with the National Assembly, it will be tabled".

Rubben Mohlaloga, boss of the broadcasting regulator, Icasa, sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Rubben Mohlaloga, the boss of South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

BusinessDay reports that Rubben Mohlaloga, Icasa chairperson was sentenced to two decades in jail for defrauding the Land Bank of R6 million in 2008.

According to BusinessDay, Rubben Mohlaloga's legal representation said that he would petition the North Gauteng High Court to challenge his convictions.

Rubben Mohlaloga is currently out on bail and applied for leave to appeal his sentence. He was found guilty of fraud and money laundering by a specialised commercial crimes court in January 2018.

In February 2018 parliament planned to fire the convicted fraudster from Icasa but he's been kept on despite the Icasa Act prohibiting anyone convicted of fraud from serving as a councillor at the broadcasting regulator.

South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa, has fired 16 staffers the past 5 years for theft, gross negligence, going missing and crashing a car while convicted fraudster Rubben Mohlaloga remains chairperson.

South Africa's troubled broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has fired 16 staffers in just the past 5 years for things like theft, going missing without leave, crashing a car, gross negligence and insubordination; while the convicted fraudster, Rubben Mohlaloga continues to be Icasa chairperson.

Rubben Mohlaloga remains employed, paid and in the position as Icasa chairperson 8 months and counting after he was convicted in court of fraud in mid-January.

The South African government's department of communications, in a written reply to parliament to answer a questions about how many people have been fired at entities like Icasa over the past 5 years, said 16 Icasa staffers got fired between 2013 and 2018 for reasons relating to gross negligence, theft, misconduct and insubordination.

During the 2013/2014 financial year, 3 out of the 4 people who were fired were because they were found guilty of gross insubordination. The 4th was fired by Icasa because of gross negligence.

In 2014/2015 Icasa fired another 5 staffer. Two were fired as a result of gross negligence related to supply chain management, one for gross insubordination, another for gross misconduct and poor work performance, and the 5th got fired after going missing without leave.

In 2015/2016 Icasa fired a staffer for gross insubordination.

In 2016/2017 Icasa fired yet another 3 staffers - two because of theft and stealing Icasa assets and the third who got fired over gross negligence.

In 2017/2018 Icasa got rid of another three workers because of misconduct related to gross negligence, gross insubordination and gross negligence related to the loss of an Icasa vehicle

None of the fired 16 staffers were paid paid severance packages.

South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa, moving its head office from 29 October from Sandton to Pretoria after 20 years.

South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) is moving its head office from Sandton to Pretoria from 29 October.

Icasa has been headquartered in Pin Mill Farm in 164 Katherine Street, Sandton for close to 20 years, but will now switch to 350 Witch-Hazel Avenue, Eco Point Office Park, Eco Park in Centurion from29 October, the regulator announced on Thursday.

"We have been operating from 164 Katherine Street in Sandton for almost two decades. It is time that we move to another location to improve ICASA accessibility to stakeholders. Our new premises will provide a conducive working environment for our people and enable us to serve," said Rubben Mohlaloga, the convicted fraudster and Icasa chairperson.

"The relocation will, in no foreseen way, affect the services to licensees and general stakeholders as well as consumers of electronic communications, broadcasting and postal services. We are working hard and tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition and look forward to continued engagement during our upcoming and currently underway regulatory processes," said Rubben Mohlaloga who was convicted of fraud in January 2018 and after 9 months is still the Icasa chairperson.

Parliament to fire South Africa's criminal broadcasting regulator chairperson Rubben Mohlaloga who is a convicted fraudster.

South Africa's parliament will soon fire the criminal and broadcasting regulator chairperson Rubben Mohlaloga who has been found guilty of fraud and money laundering in mid-January in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

On Tuesday parliament's portfolio committee on communications gave the convicted fraudster who is the chairperson of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) 5 days to say why he shouldn't be fired.

Rubben Mohlaloga is still being paid a full salary. He is expected to be sentenced on 3 April.

Rubben Mohlaloga joined Icasa council in mid-2013 and was appointed as acting chairperson in 2017. His term expired and he was again appointed as permanent Icasa chairperson in December 2017 and his appointment rubber-stamped by the former president Jacob Zuma.

Independent Producers’ Organisation (IPO) pays tribute to former SABC board member Libby Lloyd: 'She was a passionate advocate for a true public broadcaster and made a sterling contribution to the broadcasting industry'.

Several organisations are paying tribute to the former SABC board member and former broadcasting regulator councillor Libby Lloyd (56) who died on Thursday after her 2-year battle with cancer, saying that she was one of the most influential policy and regulatory specialists in South Africa and a passionate advocate for a true public broadcaster in South Africa.

Libby Lloyd passed away on Thursday after a 2-year battle with throat cancer.

She was a committed activist, journalist and researcher on freedom of expression and media policy and worked for both mainstream and alternative newspapers, radio stations, and magazines in South Africa in the 1980s and early 1990s after she started out as a journalist working for the former Capital Radio, National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States and BBC Ireland.

Libby Lloyd helped to establish the journalists’ union, the Association for Democratic Journalists, during that period and was the head of radio at the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) in the mid-1990s before moving into media policy development.

During South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994 she was appointed on the Independent Media Commission to ensure that all political parties received fair coverage, she ​was a councillor with the Independent Broadcasting Authority (the predecessor of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) working on setting up the regulatory framework for new radio and TV stations, and became a member of the inaugural Icasa board in 2000.

Libby Lloyd took up her position as the first CEO of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) in 2003 and was a member of one of the SABC interim boards.

“Libby was a passionate advocate for a true public broadcaster in South Africa and made a sterling contribution to the broadcast industry, including especially in pioneering the progressive local content and commissioning regulations at the dawn of democracy,” says producer Feizel Mamdoo on behalf of the Independent Producers' Organisation (IPO).

“The Independent Producers’ Organisation has learned with great sadness of the passing of Libby Lloyd on Thursday 18 January 2018.”

“She also applied her deep insight into and knowledge of our sector as a consultant and lobbyist, working on projects including media and development issues and policy, focusing on gender and communications.”

Among other things, she developed the SABC language policy conducted research into public broadcasting regulation in South Africa, funding models for community radio, the impact of the criminalisation of journalism in Africa, media codes for elections, and mainstreaming gender issues into ICT laws and policies.”

Icasa in a statement says it is mourning the passing of Libby Lloyd that the regulator described as "one of the most influential policy and regulatory specialists within South Africa's information and communication technologies sector".

"The ICT sector and South Africa has lost a selfless cadre, committed and disciplined individual in Libby Lloyd, " says Rubben Mohlaloga, Icasa chairperson.

"Her positive contribution on policy and regulation will be missed."