Siyabonga Cwele concerned about security at SITA

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele Picture: ANA Pictures

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele Picture: ANA Pictures

Published May 17, 2018

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PARLIAMENT - Telecommunications Minister Siyabonga Cwele on Thursday, expressed concern about security at the the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), which had in recent years been hit by burglaries, allegations of corruption and even a case of employees communicating with a right-wing leader in prison.

Speaking to journalists ahead of his budget vote in Parliament, Cwele said a massive clean-up was underway at SITA -- the state-owned entity which procures information technology on behalf of the SA government -- as a result of security breaches and alleged corrupt activities.

"Am I worried about security at SITA? Of course, yes. SITA over the last years, have had very strange break-ins. It's a national key point. We shouldn't be having break-ins at national key points which clearly means some insiders are facilitating these break-ins," said Cwele. 

"The current executive manager has put on terms, fired quite a number of senior employees at SITA. Of course we are strengthening our security because its a national key point. We are working with other law enforcement agencies in this regard."

One of the jailed leaders of the notorious South African white supremacist group, Boeremag, has been sending and receiving emails with sympathisers in government, members of Parliament (MPs) heard on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, SITA revealed to MPs that a forensic probe last year found that two employees of the SITA, which procures and managed IT services for the State, had exchanged communication with Andre du Toit, who was jailed in 2013 for high treason. One had resigned and one was suspended.

African News Agency/ANA

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