The Independent Communications Authority hereby welcomes the two (2) new ICASA councillors who were sworn in on 1 October 2010. The authority wishes to provide a brief background of the new councillors
Councillor Joseph Lebooa was the Business Liaison Manager in the Information Systems Division of MTN South Africa from November 2006 to September 2010, and worked on the Project Management Office, Information Technology (IT) Business Liaisons, and Work Scheduling and Reporting. These areas all have enterprise responsibility, not just IT. The business liaison organisation has broad responsibility to prioritise information system (IS) investment in building capabilities to support and enable business and technology strategies, ensure the expected economic return on these investments and monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of the capability building initiatives.
In 1999, he was appointed the special adviser to the former Minister of Communications until January 2001. In this capacity, among others, he managed the Cell C licence court case and advised on speedy resolution, dealt with policy and regulation evaluation and advisory services and managed government parastatals such as Telkom and the Post Office for delivery on strategic targets and objectives.
He has a Masters Degree (MSC) in Telecommunications Engineering from ISPJAE in Cuba and many other certificate courses including Certificate in Tariff Accounting Course from London.
Councillor Willie Currie was the Communications and Information Policy Programme Manager of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) from 2004 to 2010, and worked on global communications policy issues related to internet governance and ICTD.
From 1999 to 2002, Willie Currie was a Councillor at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA).
In the mid 90s, he was special adviser to Dr Pallo Jordan, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting. In this capacity, he coordinated the telecommunications policy process that led to the White Paper on Telecommunications Policy. Prior to this, as General Secretary of the Film and Allied Workers Organisation (FAWO), Councillor Currie was involved in the development of broadcasting policy during the transition to democracy in South Africa.
He studied Political Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch and holds an MA in Film and Television Studies for Education from the University of London, Institute of Education.
“The authority is pleased to have the new councillors joining ICASA. We believe, without any doubt that the new councillors will use their expertise and knowledge to make ICASA the best regulator in the continent; by making sure that ICASA fulfills its mandate as provided for in the Electronic Communications Act. We are looking forward to fresh ideas and a change that will continue to make us do things expeditiously and within the prescribed time frames and to ensure that regulatory decisions that will be taken become those of public interest and surely will benefit the consumers of electronic communications, broadcasting and postal services,” said the Acting Chairperson Nomvuyiso Batyi.
Please note that the swearing-in of the third Councillor, Ntombizodwa Ndhlovu, has been scheduled to take place on 27 October 2010 at 09h45. Should there be any change in this regard, the authority will communicate.
Enquiries:
Paseka Maleka
Tel: 011 566 3455
Cell: 079 509 0702
E-mail: pmaleka@icasa.org.za
Source: Independent Communications Authority of South Africa
