Eastern Cape health boss Thobile Mbengashe now adviser to premier

Eastern Cape health boss Dr Thobile Mbengashe has been appointed as a special adviser to premier Oscar Mabuyane.

The announcement was made by Mabuyane during his weekly media briefing on Tuesday which provides updates on the work being done by the government to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our HoD [head of department] will be leaving at the end of September and on behalf of the province I want to thank Dr Mbengashe for his service,” Mabuyane said. “He has served in various capacities and has used his skills, wisdom and expertise to support the province in the development of the HIV/Aids strategy through the Aids council.

“His skills and expertise will now be used in a different capacity as he will be playing a strategic role advising me on how to improve the provincial administration.

“The good work we have done in the fight against Covid-19 is because we had him and his team at the helm.”

Mbengashe said the past five months had been an “extraordinary time” and the community of the Eastern Cape had gone through many “extraordinary changes”.

He was grateful to be on the premier’s team, he said.

“I think this is the best time for me to work with the premier now to understand how best we really create the next capacities to work with the next big wave [of the virus]. And, more importantly, how do we transform the state and actually create an agile system?” Mbengashe added.

HeraldLIVE