News24 reports that Parliament is finally set to have a permanent secretary, with the post having been vacant and an acting official at the helm since 2019.

Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said on Friday that the president, his deputy, and cabinet ministers had approved the appointment of current SA Local Government Association (Salga) chief executive officer Xolile George as secretary of Parliament. While Mothapo's statement did not include details about George's salary, it was revealed that the executive authority would recommend to the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) that he assume his duties on 1 June, subject to the houses' confirmation of his appointment. "The presiding officers said Mr George is an administrator who will bring a remarkable and deep knowledge and extensive experience in a range of areas that include intergovernmental and international relations, development economics, and political-administration interface. The appointment of Mr George will bring the required stability in the administration of Parliament, as the position of the Secretary to Parliament has been vacant for almost five years," Parliament’s statement indicated.   Beyond the parliamentary officials throwing their weight behind him, George also has support from the parliamentary branch of the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu), which has been pushing for his appointment. Parliament had been without a permanent secretary since the sacking of Gengezi Mgidlana in 2019. Since then, the deputy, Baby Tyawa, had been acting in the position. The absence of a permanent secretary came into sharp focus following the fire at the parliamentary precinct in January.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Juniour Khumalo at News24

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