Ex-ANC parliamentary spokesperson gets top job

Former ANC parliamentary caucus spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, has become the latest ANC official to take up a new senior position in Parliament, joining a host of others before him.

Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana, on Wednesday announced Mothapo as divisional manager responsible for Parliamentary Communication Services.

He assumed duties on Wednesday.

He is the fourth divisional managers appointed by Parliament in the last few months.

Those who started before Moloto were Dumisani Sithole, new divisional manager for international relations and protocol, Ravi Moodley was appointed as divisional manager for strategy and governance and Vusumuzi Mavuso assumed duties as a divisional manager for member support services.

“We have turned the tide and addressed concerns raised by both the Auditor General of South Africa and the Audit Committee of Parliament about the risks posed to internal controls and governance by a 43% vacancy rate in the senior management level in the 2014/15 financial year,” Mgidlana said.

He said the appointment meant that Parliament has also reduced its overall vacancy rate from 18% in 2014/15 financial year, to 4.3% in 2017, with women constituting 54.1% (717) of its 1326 staff complement.

Mr Mgidlana said although Parliament continues to celebrate consecutive unqualified audit findings, a lot more still needs to be done to tighten the performance management system of Parliament which, he trusts, would be boosted by the stability at the senior management level of the administration.

He said another area that will receive the attention of Parliament going forward is ensuring improved representation of people with disabilities, from the current 0.7% (nine people with disabilities).

Besides working as spokesperson for the ANC caucus for 12 years, Mothapo also served as acting spokesperson for Cosatu.

Sithole was an MP for ten year and Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee while Moodley has held senior management positions the banking sector.

Mavuso was a member of the Provincial Legislature in Gauteng served in the Public Service Commission, Acting Municipal Manager of Buffalo City, head of Department of Local Government and as Chairperson of the SABC Foundation and its board Member.

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