Is Barendse really a lost for Icasa?

ADSL South Africa (Broadband South Africa), 7 November 2006

Andrew Barendse's decision not to take up his job as an Icasa councillor might after all not be such a great lost. At least not for the cause Icasa is suppose to represent.

Icasa might be stuck in the mud concerning leadership but this doesn't mean that Telkom biased players like Barendse will ever be the rescuers we're hoping for. While it's true that the workman is worthy of his pay one will not expect lovers of money to pitch up and hit sixes for our cause. What cause may that be some might ask. Well, the cause of seeing to it that exorbitant SA telecommunications costs take a nose dive.

Barendse can be deemed as being Telkom biased based for one on the fact that he was previously employed by Telkom for almost 10 years (1992 and 2001). He worked as a network infrastructure planner, sales account manager and also a senior manager of regulatory and government relations at Telkom. He will now again take up a position in Telkom's regulatory affairs department. One can only speculate how much of your hard-earned money went into getting him back in Telkom's corner. He might go down in South African history as just another 'back stabbing floor crosser.'

According to Barendse his decision "was purely based on economics and that the remuneration package offered by Icasa was not sufficient" (Mail and Guardian, Gedye, 3 Nov 2006). Are Icasa employees underpaid? This is the first question that comes to mind if one holds Barendse's decision to be reasonable. While we don't intend to answer this question here one thing is sure: Barendse has placed his personal interests before the interests of hundreds of embattled South Africans.

At this stage one can only hope that Icasa will get real leaders, real people. The type of people that's worthy to be called decent and that's not just in it for the money.