African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of ANC national executive committee member Jackson Mthembu as the party’s Chief Whip in Parliament, replacing Stone Sizani who took up an ambassador post in Germany.
“He is the new chief whip, the [ANC] NEC decided he should be the chief whip of the majority party in Parliament,” Mantashe told SABC radio station, SAFM during an interview on Tuesday.
Doris Dlakude, who is not an NEC member, was appointed acting chief whip after Sizani’s departure. Sizani, who took up the chief whip post in 2014, faced a tough time in the National Assembly sittings which were marked by disruptions, especially from the new militant opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
Mthembu was ANC national spokesman before he was deployed to Parliament to chair the portfolio committee on environmental affairs. Mthembu previously served as speaker in the Mpumalanga legislature and as spokesman for Nelson Mandela.
– African News Agency (ANA)
