The Minister of Finance Mr Enoch Godongwana has appointed three female, Black professionals to key positions in the public service, in recognition of their particular professional and academic talents, as well as the urgent and continuing need to achieve gender equality in the workplace.
There is compelling evidence showing that the uneven playing field between women and men, in terms of employment, income and education, comes at a huge cost to the economy and broader society, Minister Godongwana said.
“This is why, in addition to the moral imperative, we must not flinch away from the goal of achieving gender equity, especially when we have an abundance of young, highly qualified, and skilled women eager to contribute to the betterment of the country through public service,” Minister Godongwana said.
Ms Thabi Nkosi has been appointed as the new non-executive chairperson of the Land and Agricultural Development Bank. Cabinet on Thursday endorsed the appointment following its meeting.
After the term of Land Bank’s previous Board of Directors came to an end on November 30, Minister Godongwana made recommendations to the Cabinet to appoint and reappoint 10 non-executive board members, nominating Ms Nkosi as non-executive chairperson, to which Cabinet agreed.
Ms Nkosi, 35, is a respected agricultural economist, with diverse and extensive experience in agribusiness, agricultural policy-making, and agribusiness operations. She has worked in numerous positions in the field, in both the private and public sector, and currently serves as an independent non-executive trustee for the National Empowerment Fund; Chairperson of Mintirho Foundation (Coca-Cola Bottlers SA Agriculture Investment Fund); and as an advisory director for agritech company KHULA!
As non-executive chairperson of the Board of the Land Bank, Ms Nkosi will be leading the revival of the country’s largest agricultural-focused lender. Her qualifications include a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a post-graduate Diploma in Business Administration and Management and an MSc and BSc (Agric) in Agricultural Economics.
Meanwhile, in his office, Minister Godongwana has appointed Ms Pamela Mondliwa as his special advisor on economic policy, and Ms Nokwanda Mahori as the parliamentary liaison to the Ministry of Finance. Ms Mondliwa, 35, is an experienced economist and academic. She has worked across consulting, academia, and policy, including at the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development as a senior economist, and for Berkeley Research Group and the National Competition Commission. Ms Mondliwa is a contributor and editor of a recently released volume of essays published by Oxford University Press, titled: “Structural Transformation in South Africa – The Challenges of Inclusive Industrial Development in a Middle-Income Country.”
As the minister’s special advisor, Ms Mondliwa will provide expert guidance and analysis on the macroeconomy, industrial policy and competition law, among other areas. Ms Mondliwa obtained a Bachelor and Honours degree in Commerce from Rhodes University before earning her Masters in Commerce from the University of Johannesburg.
Ms Mahori, 34, will serve as a liaison between the Ministry, Parliament, and members of the public on parliamentary related matters. She brings a wealth of experience having worked at the at the intersection of politics, economics and public policy.
Her multidisciplinary skills are based on her work experience in various non-profit and research organizations on a range of policy issues, such as financial inclusion, microfinance and labour issues. She has also lead market research for local and international companies and innovation hubs, before working as a coordinator for the African National Congress’s (ANC) Economic Transformation Sub-Committee, with a focus on policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation. These skills put her in a position to enhance the work of the team in the Ministry. She holds a Bachelor’s degree of Commerce from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, a post-graduate diploma in business administration from UNISA, and is currently a candidate for a Master’s degree in Management at the Wits School of Governance.