Parliament will have a new administrative boss by April 1 — if National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula gets her way.
She told MPs on Friday the recruitment process, which started more than a year ago, may finally yield a result with the appointment of a new secretary to parliament — effectively its CEO — in the coming weeks.
“We are working hard to make sure we give parliament a secretary by April 1,” she said.
Parliament has not had a permanent administrative boss since Gengezi Mgidlana was put on special leave in June 2017. Mgidlana was subsequently suspended and eventually fired in October 2019.
“I’m sure you are all aware that there had been interviews that were conducted some time ago by a panel established by parliament and a service provider.
“That team came out with a report and very clear proposals as to what the way forward should be,” Mapisa-Nqakula told the joint standing committee on the financial management of parliament on Friday.
She said she will be meeting MPs who were part of the panel that interviewed candidates to clarify issues of remuneration, among other things.
“I can assure you that we are hard at work to make sure that possibly by April 1, we have an STP [secretary to parliament].”
The Sunday Times reported last April that SA Local Government Association CEO Xolile George was a front-runner for the job. Sources said he impressed in interviews held a month earlier.
But parliament could not afford his salary. He earned R5.8m in the financial year which ended in March 2020. The parliament job pays R2.5m a year — some 60% less.
Parliament has been criticised for its failure to fill important and senior vacancies including that of the chief financial officer (CFO) and head of security.
Mapisa-Nqakula indicated these positions will be filled after the secretary to parliament has been appointed.
She said she decided with Amos Masondo, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), that it will be good to allow the incoming secretary to parliament to be part of the processes of appointing the CFO and head of security.
Processes were under way and shortlisting had already been done for these positions, she said.
Parliament has not had a permanent head of security since 2017 and no permanent CFO since 2018.
TimesLIVE
Parliament to have new admin boss by April 1: Mapisa-Nqakula
Image: Gallo Images/Rapport/Deaan Vivier
Parliament will have a new administrative boss by April 1 — if National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula gets her way.
She told MPs on Friday the recruitment process, which started more than a year ago, may finally yield a result with the appointment of a new secretary to parliament — effectively its CEO — in the coming weeks.
“We are working hard to make sure we give parliament a secretary by April 1,” she said.
Parliament has not had a permanent administrative boss since Gengezi Mgidlana was put on special leave in June 2017. Mgidlana was subsequently suspended and eventually fired in October 2019.
“I’m sure you are all aware that there had been interviews that were conducted some time ago by a panel established by parliament and a service provider.
“That team came out with a report and very clear proposals as to what the way forward should be,” Mapisa-Nqakula told the joint standing committee on the financial management of parliament on Friday.
She said she will be meeting MPs who were part of the panel that interviewed candidates to clarify issues of remuneration, among other things.
“I can assure you that we are hard at work to make sure that possibly by April 1, we have an STP [secretary to parliament].”
The Sunday Times reported last April that SA Local Government Association CEO Xolile George was a front-runner for the job. Sources said he impressed in interviews held a month earlier.
But parliament could not afford his salary. He earned R5.8m in the financial year which ended in March 2020. The parliament job pays R2.5m a year — some 60% less.
Parliament has been criticised for its failure to fill important and senior vacancies including that of the chief financial officer (CFO) and head of security.
Mapisa-Nqakula indicated these positions will be filled after the secretary to parliament has been appointed.
She said she decided with Amos Masondo, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), that it will be good to allow the incoming secretary to parliament to be part of the processes of appointing the CFO and head of security.
Processes were under way and shortlisting had already been done for these positions, she said.
Parliament has not had a permanent head of security since 2017 and no permanent CFO since 2018.
TimesLIVE
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