Staff Reporter
The Free State Legislature has appointed Mapitja Joseph Machaka as its new secretary with immediate effect.
A statement issued on Monday by Legislature spokesperson Life Mokone said Machaka, who has been acting in that position, assumed the substantive role starting today.
According to the statement, Speaker of the Legislature Ntombizanele Sifuba said Machaka emerged as the best candidate following a rigorous interview process.
“This is where a decision was made that Mr Mapitja Joseph Machaka is fit and proper to be appointed and serve as the secretary to the Legislature,” Sifuba said.
Machaka started working at the Free State Legislature as a legal advisor in 1997 and grew within the ranks until he was appointed senior legal advisor.
He was appointed the acting deputy secretary in October 2017 in line with the Legislature policy and later appointed in the position in April 2018.
Following the retirement of the then secretary, Leonard Thabo Mofokeng, in September 2020, Machaka was appointed as the acting secretary to the Legislature.
“The appointment of Mr Machaka will bring stability to the work of the Legislature,” Sifuba said.
“His administrative leadership and work ethic in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic was remarkable . . . I look forward to a great working relationship in ensuring that the Legislature works better to change the lives of our people.”
Machaka, according to the statement, is a decorated lawyer, a competent administrator and strategist.
He holds an LLM degrees in administrative law and mercantile law from the University of the Free State.
He is currently the co-convenor of the Secretaries’ Association of Legislatures of South Africa, Cluster 3, on Inter-legislature, Local Government and International Parliamentary Relations.
He served as an advocate and admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa in Bloemfontein in 1997 and 2012 respectively.