Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) chief executive Tshiamo Maluleka-Disemelo has been cleared of serious allegations raised against her in a whistleblower report in 2024.
Chief among the allegations was that Maluleka-Disemelo had gone on shopping sprees using a credit card belonging to Icasa’s service provider, who has since passed on.
The so-called whistleblower had also raised question marks on Maluleka-Disemelo’s qualification, alleging academic fraud.
However, the board of the state entity commissioned a probe that cleared Maluleka-Disemelo of all allegations of wrongdoing.
The Icasa board resolved to instruct the risk and compliance unit to conduct an independent investigation on the allegations to establish the facts and mitigate any reputational risk to the authority while providing clarity to stakeholders.
Report tabled at council meeting
To this end, Ligwa Advisory Services was appointed the professional service provider to conduct the investigation, and Maluleka-Disemelo has come out unscathed, as per the letter from Icasa chairperson Mothibi Ramusi, which we have seen.
“Ligwa Advisory Services tabled the report at a special council meeting wherein council held that the alleged misuse of a service provider’s personal bank card could not be
substantiated; and…
“That the allegations regarding the validity of Ms Maluleka-Disemelo’’s degree
was refuted in that both MIE Smart Vetting Solutions and SAQA [South African Qualifications Authority] were able to authenticate the qualifications, with SAQA being able to validate the qualifications on the NLRD.”
The Sunday World reported in 2024 that a whistleblower report claimed Maluleka-Disemelo allegedly went on a shopping spree in Italy using a bank card owned by someone who was on the Icasa legal panel.Â
The service provider in question was identified as Hope Chaane, who passed away in December 2023.
