Mmamoloko Kubayi has been named as the new chair of parliament’s portfolio committee on telecommunications and postal services. The position was effectively previously held by Eric Kholwane.
The communications portfolio committee, which now looks after the SABC and communications regulator Icasa — which were moved out of what was the department of communications (now telecoms and postal services) — will be chaired by Joyce Moloi-Moropa. Moloi-Moropa is a close ally of communist party general-secretary Blade Nzimande.
Kubayi, who has a project management diploma through Damelin and a BA through Vista University, previously served as a whip on the portfolio committee on basic education and higher education and training. She has also been a member of the standing committee on appropriations.
Moloi-Moropa, who will chair the new communications committee, meanwhile, is national treasurer of the South African Communist Party.
She rose to prominence as elected gender officer of the South African Student Congress in Limpopo in the 1990s, later becoming provincial chair. She serves in the SABC’s politburo and was elected to the ANC’s national executive committee in 2007.
She has served as chair of the public service and administration portfolio committee in parliament. She has a BA Hons and a higher education diploma from the University of Limpopo.
At the same time, former communications minister Yunus Carrim has been nominated as chairman of parliament’s finance committee.
Carrim, an MP since 1994, served as chairman of various committees before his cabinet appointment, including the justice committee which saw to the demise of the Scorpions in 2008.
Three other axed cabinet ministers will chair portfolio committees in the new parliament.
Paul Mashatile has been nominated to chair the standing committee on appropriations after being dropped from President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet. Mashatile served as arts and culture minister from 2010 to 2014, a portfolio now occupied by Nathi Mthethwa.
Connie September, who served less than a year as human settlements minister before being axed from Zuma’s cabinet, will chair the state security committee.
Ben Martins, also in his 20th year as an ANC MP in parliament, returns as public works committee chairman.
Before being dropped from Zuma’s cabinet, Martins served as home affairs committee chairman, deputy public enterprises minister, transport minister and energy minister — a post he held since July last year before also being dropped from the new cabinet.
Another former minister in ex-president Thabo Mbeki’s cabinet, Thoko Didiza, is expected to become a house chair. — © 2014 NewsCentral Media, with Sapa
