SDA appoints Interim Board
SEKHUKHUNE
The long anticipated smooth running of Sekhukhune Development Agency (SDA) is on a path of certainty after the structure’s Interim Board was appointed at the Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) offices in Groblersdal recently.
This is after the SDM council disbanded the SDA previous board earlier this month, following fraud allegations involving a dodgy payment of R460 000 to a service provider.
The SDA was established in 2010 through a Provincial Gazette with a mandate to create high impact economic projects, as well as District-wide investment facilitation and implementation. SDM is the sole shareholder and parent municipality to the agency.
The Interim Board members, who were appointed by the SDM Council are Tshabedi Richard Serote (Chairperson), Magomarele Geoffrey Mariri, Freddy Raseote, Lethabo Ngwanatsomane, Oscar Pheeha and David Chesir.
All Board Members are assigned to serve in each of three Sub-Committees, namely, Economic Development, Human Resource and Remuneration (REMCO) and Finance Sub-Committees.
They were appointed following the resolution of Ordinary Council Meeting of SDM, as non-Executive Directors of SDA.
The Interim Board will lead the transition and consolidation for SDA to be in a firm strategic position and hold the fort until the new board is appointed.
The Interim Board members, together with Acting Chief Executive Officer, were ushered by the shareholders’ representative, Cllr Baatseba Leshaba, who is the Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Planning and Economic Development in SDM.
MMC Leshaba said the appointment of the Interim Board and Acting CEO affirms the council’s confidence in SDA as the economic development entity to turn around fortunes of Sekhukhune District.
“We welcome you all to our agency (SDA). While we are still going to know each other, I assure you of my full support and that of the executive mayor and the council. I urged you, board members and our Acting CEO Mr Mpho William Maepa, to work together and to come up with ways to move the district’s economy forward, and make the Sekhukhune District Municipality proud. We are looking forward to see the difference and I wish you well in your new responsibilities,” said Leshaba.
She added that the board collective brings a wealth of experience from a diverse range of fields such as architecture, planning, audit, accounting, legal, economics, advisory services, risk and compliance.
Some of the new board members are specialists in valuable skills such as forensic audit, supply chain management, tax and finance.
Tshabedi Richard Serote, new Chairperson of Interim Board, comes from a strong accountancy, risk audit and compliance background, with extensive experience as a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). Tshabedi seats in different boards and audit committees.
Leshaba said the advertisement for the new Board of Directors is already in circulation and the Interim Board has a role to ensure that the SDA is not found wanting in governance matters during this transitional period.
“We heartily congratulate the Interim Board and Acting CEO on their appointment and we are looking forward to a fruitful working relationship” concluded Leshaba.
