Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications has resolved that Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) chairperson Rubben Mohlaloga be removed from his position with immediate effect.

MPs met on Tuesday to discuss Mohlaloga's future after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud and money laundering in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court last month.




He was sentenced on February 14 this year alongside former acting head of the Land Bank Philemon Moblablane and attorney Dinga Rammy Nkwasbu.

The committee, while accepting the verdict, allowed written representations as to why, despite the conviction, the chairperson should not be removed.




The committee agreed 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".

The committee recommended that the minister of communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams suspend him from his position as Icasa chair until such a time that the removal process is finalised by the National Assembly.

Committee chairperson Hlengiwe Mkhize said, in reference to the committee's report, that "by the end of today, it will be with the National Assembly, it will be tabled".

Mohlaloga, who was appointed chairperson of Icasa in December 2017, was found guilty of the two charges in January 2018.

The Portfolio Committee on Communications also noted that Mohlaloga had been granted leave to appeal his sentence, and had noted his intent to petition the Judge President of the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to appeal his conviction as well.