The Presidency is pleased to announce the following appointments, as approved by Cabinet on 26 August 2009:
Ambassador Jessie Duarte has been appointed as Chief Operations Officer (COO).
Duarte has a distinguished record of service to the nation, beginning as an underground activist and United Democratic Front (UDF) leader. In the early 1990s she served as special assistant to African National Congress (ANC) President Nelson Mandela, before being appointed Gauteng MEC for Safety and Security.
She served as South Africa's High Commissioner to Mozambique from 1999 to 2002. She then worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs as Deputy Director-General for Africa Multilateral branch, specifically to facilitate South Africa's relationship with Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU). She has served as African National Congress national spokesperson since 2008.
Ms Lusanda Mxenge has been appointed Deputy Director-General: Cabinet Office.
Mxenge has extensive experience in government, having worked in local government, Parliament and a number of national government departments. She worked in the Department of Provincial and Local Government from 1999 to 2001.
She served as Director in the office of the Director-General in the Department of Public Works and Chief of Staff in the office of the Minister of Communications. Most recently she has worked as Chief Director: Cluster Coordination, International Relations, Stakeholder Management and Executive Support in the office of the Director-General in the Department of Social Development.
The Presidency wishes them well in their new responsibilities.
Issued by: The Presidency
27 August 2009
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
