Johannesburg - South Africa’s former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will lose all perks that come with the job after taking up a position as a senior UN staff member. The Sunday Independent reports that Mlambo-Ngcuka was recently appointed the new executive director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). Mlambo-Ngcuka served as deputy president under Thabo Mbeki after he fired Jacob Zuma. Insiders close to her initially claimed the move to strip her of all privileges was a result of the 2005 fallout. However, even though factional politics could have played a role, she is an employee of the UN, whose staff members have the status of “international civil servants” and may not accept any “honour, decoration, favour, gift or remuneration from any government”. This effectively disqualifies Mlambo-Ngcuka from receiving security, staff and free local SAA flights which other former deputy presidents enjoy for life. Her appointment to the position has however caused ructions in the government and in the SADC region as the government had apparently agreed that it would lobby for former South African ambassador to the US, Sheila Sisulu, to head up UN-Women. If Sisulu was unsuccessful South Africa agreed to joining the SADC in supporting Mozambicanvironmental Affairs Minister Alcinda Antonio de Abreu for the position. These plans were however, thwarted when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told South Africa that he was considering appointing Mlambo-Ngcuka after the recommendation from “someone powerful” in South Africa. That “powerful person” is thought to have been Mbeki.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 14:33:40 +0000
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