Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has appointed former Transport Department Director General Mpumi Mpofu as Secretary for Defence, the presidency said in a statement.
Mpofu, whose appointment came into effect on 1 April, takes over from Lieutenant General Themba Matanzima who had been acting in the position. Matanzima will return to his position as Chief of Joint Operations for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The Secretary for Defence manages the Secretariat and is the accounting officer of the Department of Defence. An incumbent is also the principal advisor to the Minister regarding defence policies and matters which may be investigated by the Joint Standing Committee on Defence.
Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Mpofu has extensive experience in government, having served the state both at a provincial and national level.
Amongst her previous appointments include that of Chief Director and Head of Housing in the Gauteng Province in 1995 and Director General for the national Department of Housing in 1997.
Mpofu 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.
