Only Mbalula can speed up filling of Boxing SA posts

Boxing SA (BSA) chairman Muditambi Ravele has expressed her doubts about the organisation’s vacant chief executive and chief financial officer posts being filled before the end of the year.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula had tweeted on Wednesday that BSA would have a new CFO and CEO by the end of the year‚ but Ravele made it clear to Times Media on Thursday that unless Mbalula was personally involved in expediting the process‚ they would be hard-pressed to make the appointments.

“We‚ as the board‚ can conduct interviews but we must recommend to the minister‚ who in turn must consult with the office of Minister of Finance (Nhlanhla Nene) for the appointments to happen‚” she said.

The Boxing Act stipulates that such appointments‚ particularly that of the chief executive‚ be done by the office of Mbalula in conjunction with that of Nene.

“The lesson we learnt form the issue of dismissed chief executive Moffat Qithi is that proper security checks must be done. The security department checks criminal records and outstanding criminals cases. It is a long process. It is also because of such processes that I cannot tell you who have shortlisted‚” explained Ravele.

Qithi was suspended with full pay of about R100000 by the board of BSA in September 2013 after admitting in the Johannesburg High Court that he failed to disclose his criminal record when he applied for the job in 2011. A disciplinary tribunal recommended that Qithi be sacked after finding him guilty on 10 of 14 charges put against him. He was dismissed in July.

Loyiso Mtya‚ who was acting chief executive‚ resigned in February. He had been suspended in July last year after preliminary investigations that linked him to corruption‚ maladministration and taking kickbacks. Chief financial officer Kgosimang Mosupa‚ who was supended in October last year‚ was also dismissed in July.