Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni unhappy with gender inequality at Telkom board

Minister of communications Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has issued a strong warning to the Telkom board in relation to transformation in the boardroom. 
 
Ntshavheni vowed she will continue to advocate for balanced gender representation on the board and executive management of Telkom. 
 
The minister released a statement in her response to the telecommunications giant’s annual general meeting (AGM) that was held on Wednesday. 
 
It is reported by ITWeb that Ntshavheni voted against the nomination of a number of male directors which include the likes of ex-MTN South Africa and Altron CEO Mteto Nyati. 
 
“It is worrisome that only 31% of the board members are female,” Ntshavheni reacted. 
 
“It is even worse to note the Audit Committee has only one female in a five-member committee. In addition, the appointments do not consider succession planning in terms of introducing younger people to the board.” 
 
Ntshavheni’s sentiments come as the country is close to wrapping up the month of August which is dedicated to women and known as Women’s Month. 
 
According to a statement dispatched by her ministry, Ntshavheni emphasised the issue of gender representation as an area of specific concern at last year’s Telkom AGM. 
 
“The minister will continue to advocate for and coordinate the government vote for the representation of both women and the youth in both the board and the executive management of Telkom,” reads the statement. 
 
However, the Telkom board of directors continues to show a lack of gender parity, and the new appointments or re-appointments fly in the face of this genuine concern, she stated. 
 
As things stand at Telkom, the state owns a majority of shares with a 40.51% stake in the telephony group but MTN announced their aim last month to take control of the government majority-owned Telkom. 
 
It is also reported that the government said it would await the outcome of the MTN and Telkom takeover talks before sharing its views on the matter. 
 
Main Image: Khumbudzo Ntshavheni/Twitter 
https://twitter.com/Khu_Ntshavheni