News24 reports that the Presidency finally has a director-general (DG) after President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Phindile Baleni in the post that Cassius Lubisi left vacant after he left the public service in September last year.

Baleni was the DG in the Office of Gauteng Premier David Makhura from 2015 and has vast experience in the public sector. She will now be the most senior administrative government official, and will also be the secretary to Cabinet. She is the first woman to hold this position. Baleni is an admitted attorney and conveyancer who holds a B.Proc and an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand. She is married to Frans Baleni, the former general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) – a staunch Ramaphosa supporter. President Ramaphosa wished Ms Baleni well in her new position and also expressed his appreciation to Ms Lusanda Mxenge who was acting DG of the Presidency for several months.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24

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