There are concerns about political nepotism in South Africa where President Jacob Zuma’s 25-year-old daughter’s been appointed chief of staff at the department of telecommunications and postal services.
The department insists it only considered her capacity to do the job and her qualifications. And that her genealogy was never a consideration.
Ends intro
Thuthukile Zuma is the daughter of President Jacob Zuma and and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, currently head of the African Union Commission, from whom he is divorced.
The 25 year-old has a bachelor degree with honours in anthropology.
She worked briefly in an unpaid capacity at the offices of the ruling African National Congress.
A year ago she was a public liaison officer at the department of state security.
She followed the minister Siyabonga Cwele from state security when President Jacob Zuma moved him to head the telecommunications department this year.
Departmental spokesman Siya Qoza says Zuma’s daughter was promoted to the million-rand-a-year job becauase of her capacity for the position.
Qoza says there haven’t been complaints from within the department about her appointment
The Mail and Guardian reports the post was never advertised.
It says chiefs of staff positions in other government department usually require applicants to have at least ten year’s experience in senior management.