Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has announced the formation of a Project Support Unit, a high-level team of leaders with proven administration skills, to scale up the implementation of government commitments in areas identified as lagging.
The Project Support Unit will be based in the Eastern Cape Office of the Premier (OTP).
Mabuyane announced during a media briefing held in East London today, October 3.
“In the SOPA of 2023, we pronounced the need to implement various interventions, including establishing the “Crack Team,” in the OTP to build the state’s capacity.”
This Crack Team, which we have since named the Project Support Unit, comprises a high-powered team of leaders with proven capabilities and skills in public administration. It is a team that is formed in the same spirit as the Provincial Command Council that worked like a well-oiled machine in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mabuyane said.
Mabuyane said the team’s focus will be to scale up the implementation of government commitments in the critical areas we have identified as lagging in our monitoring and evaluation processes.
The critical areas, according to Mabuyane, include investment coordination, support to local government, driving education and health turnaround strategies, designated groups coordination and state machinery transformations, and driving strategic and catalytic projects.
The Project Support Unit team is made up of seasoned administrator Mahlubandile Qwase, provincial health department head Dr Rolene Wagner, provincial COGTA head Andile Fani, provincial department of rural development and agrarian reform head Siphokazi Ndudane, provincial department of transport head Mzi Mafani, Busisiwe Khumalo, Athini Majikija and Mboniswa Nodlabi.
OTP Director General Mbulelo Sogoni will lead the team.
Mabuyane said,
He further assured that the secondments will not cause any vacuum or negative effect on service delivery in the departments they are coming from ‘because they have set sound systems in place.’
The appointment of the Project Support Unit team members is effective October 1.
Mabuyane further announced appointments of acting HODs to replace those seconded to the Project Support Unit.
