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President Jacob Zuma has, in accordance with section 7(1) of the Defence Act of 2002, appointed Ms Mpumi Mpofu as Secretary for Defence.
Ms Mpofu, whose appointment came into effect on 1 April 2010, takes over from Lieutenant General Themba Matanzima, who had been acting in this position. Lieutenant Matanzima will return to his position as Chief of Joint Operations for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). President Zuma thanked Lieutenant Matanzima for the leadership he provided in his short tenure as acting Secretary for Defence.
Ms Mpofu has extensive experience in government, having served the state both at a provincial and national level. She was appointed Chief Director and Head of Housing in the Gauteng Province in 1995. In 1997 she was appointed as the Director General for the national Department of Housing. She served in this position for eight years until being transferred in 2005 to serve as the Director General of Transport, a position she held up until she retired last year.
She holds an honours degree in urban and regional planning and a postgraduate degree in town planning both from Coventry University in the United Kingdom.
She was a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe and was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for its activities.
The Secretary for Defence manages the Secretariat and is the accounting officer of the Department of Defence. The Secretary of Defence is also the principal advisor to the Minister regarding defence policies and matters which may be investigated by the Joint Standing Committee on Defence.
The Secretary also performs duties and functions necessary for the democratic and civilian management of the defence function and to enhance parliamentary and Ministerial control over the SANDF. The Secretary is also responsible for monitoring compliance with regards to directions issued to the Chief of the SANDF by the President or the Minister.