Mabuyane appoints new spokesperson, advisory panel members

Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has appointed political analyst Zamikhaya Maseti as his spokesperson.

Maseti replaces former spokesperson Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, who has returned to his post as department of rural development and agrarian reform communications chief director.

Sicwetsha left the office of the premier in July.

In a statement on Thursday, Mabuyane’s acting spokesperson, Mxolisi Spondo, said Maseti was the managing director of Ngubengcuka Strategy and Advisory Consulting.

Mabuyane also announced new members of his part-time advisory panel, namely Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu, businessman Saki Macozoma and Nomso Kana.

Mabuyane said his office was bringing in replacements for two members of  the panel of advisers he had started with at the beginning of his term who had since died.

“We lost two members in that team, Dr Monde Mnyande and Dr Vuyokazi Mahlathi.

“We were left with Ms Gloria Serobe, Prof Derrick Swartz and Bishop Andile Mbethe.

“Now we're adding three people,” he said.

Mnyande, a former Central Energy Fund chair and former Reserve Bank chief economist, died a year ago.

Mahlathi, who died in October, served as the chair of the advisory panel on land reform and agriculture. 

The advisers are expected to provide advice that will sharpen Mabuyane’s strategic planning programmes to ensure that work done by the government is structured to achieve the goals and objectives of the provincial development plan.

HeraldLIVE