Parliament, Friday, 24 April 2020 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) today welcomes the appointment of the Director-General (DG) for the Department of Cooperative Governance, Ms Avril Williamson.
Ms Williamson fills the post of DG that was vacated in December 2019. The Auditor-General has found adverse effects on performance in some departments where Directors-Generals posts remain unfilled for a long time. This appointment therefore brings stability to the department. The norm of appointing an acting director-general does not necessarily assist departments in the long term, as the acting DG has double the work load. The Committee commends the Department for adhering to gender representivity call in government for appointing women in senior management posts.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and Cogta being the lead department in disaster management responsible for the management and implementation of the Disaster Management regulations at ward, municipal, provincial and national levels, the appointment of Ms Williamson will assist in the management and administration of all efforts by local government aimed at fighting this epidemic.
The committee looks forward to engaging with the new Director-General at its next meeting, which is scheduled for next week.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COGTA, MS FAITH MUTHAMBI.
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