Issued by: Office of the President
STATEMENT ON RELOCATION OF PRESIDENTIAL STAFF
The Office of the President would like to indicate that it has not relocated its communications staff to Pretoria as it has been reported in the media.
The Communication component, like all other sections of the President's Office and other state departments, are affected by the sessions of parliament and the programmes of principals, the President or the Ministers as the case may be.
Seven of the nine members of the department have been acting as sessional officials during this Parliamentary Session in Cape Town. The timing of the ending of their sessional duty each year depends on various factors. Six of the sessional staff ended their sessional duty during mid-October because the President's visit to North Africa and CHOGM as well as other commitments meant that he would be better served in that way during the remaining four weeks of the Session. The movement of members of the Communication component to Pretoria in recent weeks is part of the regular movement that happens consequent to the situation of two capitals. They will be in Cape Town again from the beginning of February for the beginning of the next Session.
There is no connection between the measures that were taken about a year ago to reduce the member of session officials which resulted in two members of the component not being sessional officials. At the beginning of each year, the Director General of the President's Office carries out a review of sessional officials with the aim of cutting down on costs while maintaining the appropriate levels of efficiency and standards.
President Nelson Mandela is not accompanied by his staff on an ad hoc basis. It is the policy of the Office that on every occasion, the President is accompanied by a designated number of staff to enable him to carry out his duties. It is immaterial where he might be.
Issued by the Office of the President
13 November 1997
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