Dear Editor
In the interests of transparency, Minister Tau must release the TSU report into governance and management issues at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), commissioned in February 2025, as soon as possible. He must additionally give details of what actions he and the new board are taking to stabilise the SABS and set it on a path to recovery.
The SABS continues to exhibit concerning signs of dysfunction as the new board and Acting CEO, Mr Blake Mosely-Lefatola, begin their terms of office. The SABS has not had a permanent CEO since 2018. Their first task must be to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding an alleged armed robbery at the National Electricity Testing Facility (NETF) that took place two weeks ago, in which a large quantity of copper cables was loaded onto a truck and removed.
Mr Mosely-Lefatola assumes his new role as the SABS struggles to overcome years of instability and answer questions regarding its governance and performance, notably the cyber-attack that crippled essential systems in November 2024. A series of whistleblower reports led to Minister Parks Tau appointing the independent investigation after months of pressure from the DA, to probe allegations of mismanagement, corruption, procurement and hiring irregularities.
It is also unclear why, eight months after the date in question, management issued letters to 23 employees asking them why they should not be suspended due to their supposed involvement in a protest against management that took place last year. New leadership must address the collapse in staff morale, and earn back the trust of SABS staff.
Minister Tau, the board and Acting-CEO must be under no illusion about the challenges they face in rooting out malign forces that have bedevilled the SABS for far too long. It is incumbent on them to steady the ship – the DA will ensure that they do so.
Regards
Toby Chance MP
DA Spokesperson on Trade, Industry & Competition