Remove Icasa chair 'immediately', parliamentary committee says

Parliament's communication portfolio commission wants the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) council chair Rubben Mohlaloga removed with immediate effect.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the committee said it had adopted the resolution to remove Mohlaloga in terms of section 8 of the Icasa Act.

A month ago Mohlaloga was sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison for money laundering and fraud linked to a R6m Land Bank scam. He has been granted leave to appeal the sentence, and was been released on bail pending the outcome of the appeal.

Chair of the communication portfolio committee Hlengiwe Mkhize said: "Having deliberated on the issue of the chairperson of Icasa, the committee has once more emphasised that he should be removed as a chairperson and also removed as council member of Icasa, as it is in the act of Icasa that a person who is found guilty cannot hold the position of councillor."

The decision came despite Mohlaloga being given an opportunity to make representations on why he should not be removed, where he said he had launched an appeal.