The leadership rigmarole at the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) continues as reports have emerged that the institution has appointed a new acting chief executive officer earlier this week.
This development, if confirmed, would mark the third leadership change in the acting position since the non-renewal of the institution’s last substantive CEO, Vumile Dlamini’s contract in July 2023.
The organisation itself, however, says it has no knowledge of such an appointment.
Responding to questions from this newspaper, RSTP Senior Communications Officer Senzo Malaza said as far as the institution was aware, there was currently neither a substantive nor an acting chief executive in place.
“We do not know anything about that. As far as we are concerned, there is still no substantive or acting CEO,” Malaza said briefly.
According to sources familiar with developments within the organisation, a member of the RSTP board is expected to be unveiled earlier this coming week as acting chief executive officer.
Efforts to obtain clarification from RSTP Board Chairperson Jacqueline Fick on whether the board convened a meeting to deliberate on and ratify the alleged appointment were unsuccessful.
Fick declined to comment on the matter when contacted.
A comment from the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), which exercises oversight over the state-owned technology hub, also could not be obtained as both Minister Savannah Maziya and Principal Secretary (PS) Andreas Dlamini had not responded to messages sent to them yesterday at the time of publication.
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The queries sought clarity on whether a board member had indeed been appointed acting CEO and when such a decision would have been formally ratified by the board.
If formally confirmed, the appointment would bring to an end a period of roughly three months during which the institution is understood to have been operating without a formally designated acting chief executive.
During this period, Chief Financial Officer Nomvula Shongwe-Gulwako is said to have continued overseeing operational matters but had not received a formal instrument authorising her to continue serving in an acting CEO capacity.
Dr Andile Meftula was appointed acting CEO following Dlamini’s departure but later exited the institution after the statutory six-month limit governing acting appointments in public enterprises elapsed.
Responsibility for managing the organisation was then assumed by Shongwe-Gulwako, who had joined RSTP only two months earlier as chief financial officer.
She was subsequently appointed acting CEO while retaining her CFO responsibilities — an arrangement that drew attention in Parliament, where legislators questioned whether the dual role could be sustained for extended periods.
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Members of Parliament have repeatedly warned that prolonged reliance on interim leadership arrangements risks weakening governance and undermining effective management at the institution.
RSTP was conceived as a flagship government initiative intended to drive innovation, research and digital entrepreneurship in Eswatini.
However, lawmakers have argued that persistent leadership uncertainty has slowed progress at the facility and complicated strategic decision-making.
During parliamentary engagements, MPs emphasised that the absence of a permanent chief executive for an extended period could stall the institution’s long-term development agenda.
Legislators subsequently urged the ministry to expedite the process, warning that prolonged leadership gaps at both board and executive levels could affect the institution’s operational effectiveness.
Renewed scrutiny
The issue drew renewed attention when Minister Maziya informed Parliament that the appointment of a substantive CEO could only proceed after guidance had been received from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The governance uncertainty surrounding executive leadership at the park comes at a time when the institution is already facing mounting financial pressure.
Auditor General Timothy Matsebula previously revealed that RSTP is operating under significant financial strain, indicating that the institution is more than E300 million in deficit.
The financial position has intensified scrutiny as officials raised concerns about the costs associated with the board chair’s travel arrangements.
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Since Board Chairperson Fick is based in South Africa, RSTP has been covering the costs of flying her into the country for board meetings, including accommodation and transport during her stay.
Officials said the arrangement, which also allows the chairperson to claim full board sitting allowances, had caused worries internally about whether such expenditure was prudent for a parastatal already under financial pressure.
The Ministry of ICT, however, defended the arrangement.
Principal Secretary Andreas Dlamini said at the time that the travel costs associated with the chairperson’s role were neither irregular nor concealed from government when the appointment was approved.
“The board chair comes from South Africa with a lot of experience in corporate governance, technical as well as policy matters, so when Cabinet approved her appointment, they were well aware of the financial implications. Sometimes you have to pay to get particular skills,” he stated.
