DIRECTOR GENERAL: DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

Ms Mamodupi Mohlala was appointed Director-General of the Department of Communications. This follows the ratification of her appointment by Cabinet on 26 August 2009.

A qualified Attorney, Ms Mohlala holds an MBA from the Telecommunications Academy in London, a Certificate in Telecommunications Regulation from the University of Florida, USA. In addition to her BA Law from the University of Swaziland, she also holds an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand, an LLM from the same institution, and a Senior Executive Management Programme from the London Business School.

Prior to being appointed Communications Department Director-General, Ms Mohlala was the Chief Executive Officer, or Pension Fund Adjudicator, in the Office of the Pension Fund Adjudicator, a position she has held since 2007. As the Pension Fund Adjudicator, her key responsibilities included, among others, with and monitoring of the pension and retirement investment industry; the development and monitoring of the strategic direction of the organization; preparing and presenting quarterly reports to the Financial Services Board and the Minister of Finance; and monitoring and giving direction to the members of the Executive Committee of the organisation on human resource management, information technology, finance and general administration. She headed an independent tribunal tasked with resolving complaints in the pensions’ arena in an economical and expeditious manner.

Ms Mohlala’s achievements during her tenure at the Office of the Pension Fund Adjudicator includes the establishment and introduction of a conciliation process and the establishment and expansion of the executive constitution of the organization to include competencies in communication, finance, IT, human resources and internal audit.

Following the formation of ICASA to replace the old Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in 2000, Ms Mohlala was appointed Councilor at the fledgling regulator in 2002, and served until 2007. Her key responsibilities at ICASA included regulatory and licensing activities in the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Sector as contemplated in terms of the ICASA Act. Her tenure there will be best remembered as chair of the following committees:

* Sentech license amendment process
* Wireless Business Solutions license amendment
* Telkom license amendment
* Swiftnet license amendment
* Mobile Telephone Network License amendment
* Vodacom License amendment
* Cell C license amendment
* And Second Network Operator license drafting committee

Her duties also included, among others, the interviewing and appointment of Chief Executive Officer; consideration and approval of Human Resource Management and Development policies (HRM&D); approval of the MTEF policy for ICASA; and interacting with various international delegations on study tours and fact finding missions to South Africa. Among others, these included delegations from China, Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia.

Ms Mohlala has also served as Managing Director of Mohlala Attorneys Incorporated, was a Lecturer at the University of South Africa and at the Practical Legal School, as well as a Candidates Attorney at Deneys Reitz Attorneys, among others.

She joins the Department as its third Director-General and with a formidable reputation in the industry.

Source: Department of Communications