Presidency responds to damning Brand SA media reports

Internal squabbles within Brand SA as reported in the media over the past few days has been noted and explained by acting minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, in a statement released on Friday. 

Last weekend, City Press reported that Brand SA was struggling, after conducting an interview with GM Petrus de Kock. 

The instability was reported to be owed to Brand SA not having an executive committee, and vacant executive positions. 

De Kock resigned last week.

Brand SA responded to the coverage by saying there are “numerous management and governance structures within Brand South Africa that address any issues the organisation may be facing”, but that the media “is not one such platform”. 

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In a bid to ensure the country that government was aware of media reports, they explained that they were working to refocus the “strategic direction of Brand SA, but that work done by the late Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, “could not be concluded as speedily as we would have expected.” 

Brand South Africa said last year its former CEO Kingsley Makhubela’s claims of maladministration and abuse of power would be investigated.

Makhubela’s report was sent to Mthembu, and to the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture.

Ntshavheni met with the board, and was expecting a 2021 annual performance plan revising targets and “strategic focus” to reposition branding South Africa.

However, the submitted plan was not up to scratch, and was returned for revision. 

“The reworked [plan], though not entirely satisfactory, was tabled to Parliament with the proviso that GCIS as the shareholder representative will work with the management of Brand SA to develop a programme… which will be used to revise the [plan] that will be submitted to both the board and the Minister for re-tabling in line with applicable legislation”. 

Ntshavheni said Brand SA acting CEO Thulisile Manzini’s position could also not be renewed, and that the company now had to “choose from the pool of general managers within Brand SA” to appoint a new CEO. 

Manzini was in the position since 2019. 

Nthsavheni added that plans were being made to fill executive positions placed by Mthembu. 

Additional reporting by News24 Wire