Issued by: Office of the Presidency
4 December 1999
President Thabo Mbeki wishes to announce the following new appointments of senior managers in the Public Service:
The three senior managers will assume their new responsibilities with immediate effect. In the instance that the departure of any of them may have left a vacancy, these posts will be filled in accordance with statutes and regulations applicable to various arms of the public service.
The President wishes to thank these cadres of the public service for the role that they have played in their previous areas of employment. He is confident that they will acquit themselves even better in their new responsibilities.
This decision of the President forms part of the continuing efforts to strengthen the capacity of government to provide efficient service to the public.
[The CV's of the appointees are attached]
For further information contact:
Joel Netshitenzhe
082-900-0083
PROFILE OF SIPHO PITYANA DIRECTOR GENERAL [FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
Full names: Sipho Mila Pityana
Date and place of birth: 21 August 1959, Port Elizabeth
Marital Status: Married with 2 children
EDUCATION:
MSc Politics and Sociology University of London. The programme included a special course on development economics, Latin America, theories of the state and democracy, race and gender discrimination in society.
BA Hon Government and Sociology University of Essex
The course offering included economics, international relations,
foreign policy of the Soviet Union, public administration, research
methods and analysis, theories of the state and others.
CAREER:
Director-General (Department of Labour) 1995/99
In addition to being Accounting Officer, manager of the
Department and advisor to the Minister on policy questions, he was
overall Convenor of Government Delegation to NEDLAC, representative
of SA government on ILO Governing Body and member of Governing body of CCMA. He has
also been a member of the Boards of SOEKOR and the University of
Cape Town Graduate School of Business.
Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor 1992/94
In his capacity, he had to assist the Vice Chancellor with the
conceptualisation and development of the strategic plan for the
transformation of the University. He produced the university's
first transformation blueprint.
He established a number of projects including staff development, research and community development projects.
Established linkage programme with various international
Universities as part of institutional capacity building strategy.
Deputy Director CASE 1991/92
He was responsible for the conceptualisation and design of
various research projects and certain administrative functions.
He directed a nation-wide survey of COSATU shop stewards and
later published an edited book reporting on the results of the
survey.
Co-ordinator for the Nelson Mandela International Reception
Committee 1990/1991
As project co-ordinator, he was the chief executive of the
projects responsible for the administration and liaison with
various national reception committees across the world. Amongst its
patrons the committee included the late ANC President, OR Tambo,
former US President Jimmy Carter, Late Prime Minister of India
Rajiv Ghandhi, OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim, Reverend
Jesse Jackson and other international statesman. It was convened
by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston.
Senior Researcher for the International Defence and Aid Fund
(IDAF) 1987/1991
Areas of research focus included the monitoring of the
developments in the labour movement and the state
counter-insurgency strategies especially as they related to its
programme of repression. The activities involved the publication of
briefing notes and publications for the various international
organisations including the UN, Commonwealth, OAU and others.
Trade Union Organiser 1980/82
In his capacity as an organiser he was responsible for building
up the membership and organisational infrastructure for MACWUSA,
one of the early emerging independent unions.
PROFILE OF B L MASETLHA DIRECTOR GENERAL [HOME AFFAIRS]
Full Names: Billy Lesedi Masetlha
Date and place of birth: 21 November 1954, Alexandra,
Johannesburg
Marital status: Married with one child
Current position: Director General of the South African
Secret Service. Mr. Masetlha was
appointed in this position on 21 June 1996.
TRAINING:
Billy Masetlha's studies include a period as a trainee Teacher at the Hebron Teachers Training College, which was interrupted by the June 16, 1976 student protests action and a post-graduate diploma in Management ( Public Policy and Development Administration) at the University of Witwatersrand.
From October 1979 until March 1980 he underwent training in military combat work in Angola, specialising in Intelligence and Counter Intelligence. Also during 1981 he attended the Wilhelm Pieck Youth College, Berlin where he did Political and Youth Leadership training. In 1987 he successfully completed an Intelligence Officers Course in the then German Democratic Republic.
CAREER:
Mr Masetlha became involved in student activities in 1971 when he joined the South African Students Movements (SASM), followed by the National Youth Organisation (NAYO) in 1972. In 1975 he was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of SAMS as Secretary General. It was during the same year (1975) that he joined the ANC underground political structures and helped to direct the uprising which followed June 16, 1976. He also served as a member of the Soweto Students Representative Council during the uprising.
After joining the Umkhonto We Sizwe underground structures in 1976, he was arrested that same year for furthering the aims of the ANC, became part of the Pretoria 12 Trial and served several sentences under Section 10 of the Internal Security Act. During 1979 he was instructed by the ANC to reorganise the Student Movement, which he did, forming the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) and participating in the formation of the Azanian Students Organisation (AZASO).
Mr Masetlha's 11 years of exile started in 1979 when he was instructed to join the External Mission of the ANC. In Botswana he formed part of the RC/PMC and specialised in youth and student organisations. In this capacity he became instrumental in the formation of the Johannesburg Democratic Action Committee (JODAC). He was recalled to Lusaka in 1985 and was elected Regional Organiser in the Regional Political Committee of the ANC in Zambia. In 1988 he was appointed as Deputy Representative and Head of DIS in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
On the release of Mr Mandela in 1990, he formed part of the Advance Party of the Mandela Tour to Africa, Europe and the Americas.
After his return from exile to South Africa in 1990 he was appointed Assistant Secretary General of the Provincial Leadership of the ANC Youth League and was a delegate to the ANC Consultative Conference in Johannesburg that same year.
In 1991 he joined the OR Tambo entourage as Youth League representative on Mr Tambo's return to South Africa. During 1992 Mr Masetlha was appointed as a member of the DIS Directorate in charge of Administration and Personnel, followed by his appointment as a member of the DIS and Security negotiating team advising the ANC negotiators on security related matters. In 1994 he was a member of the JCIC of the TEC as well as a member of the Heads of Civilian Services (HOCS).
Mr Masetlha has served as Director General of the South African Secret Service (SASS) since its inception on January 01, 1995.
HOBBIES:
Mr Masetlha is a family man who likes a quiet life, gardening and manual odd jobs around the house. His hobbies also include sport, music and reading.
PROFILE OF HILTON ANTHONY DENNIS DIRECTOR-GENERAL [SOUTH AFRICAN SECRET SERVICE]
Full Names: Hilton Anthony Dennis
Date and place of birth: 28 August 1958, Ixopo,
KwaZulu-Natal
Marital Status: Married, with three children
TRAINING:
1976: Completed Matric at the Little Flower School in
Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal.
1977/79: Went to study BA LAW at the University of Western
Cape (UWC) but did not complete due to political activities.
1980: Went into exile and joined the ANC
1981: Underwent a military training in Angola
1982/84: Undertook various courses in Counter-intelligence in
the then German Democratic Republic
1999: He is currently completing a Diploma at the Chartered
Institution of Secretaries and Administrators (CIS)
CAREER:
1983/84: He was appointed the ANC's Counter Intelligence
representative in Tanzania.
1984/86: Deployed in Lusaka as a Counter Intelligence
analyst.
1987/90: He was appointed as Head of Counter-Intelligence
Investigation Unit in Lusaka.
1991: He returned to South Africa and was deployed by the ANC
in KwaZulu-Natal
1992/94: Mr. Dennis was employed in a Midrand school in
charge of Finance and Administration.
1994/97: Deputy General Manager - Counter Espionage: NIA.
1998/99: He was appointed as a General Manager - Counter
Espionage in NIA. His responsibilities include strategic planning,
building effective counter espionage structures, and management