Mogoeng to get swanky new office

2012-09-12 14:12

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng (File, Beeld)

Johannesburg - Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is to receive a new government department to run, dozens of staff, a personal assistant and 6 000m² of office space, The Star newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Renting of offices and staff hiring has already begun but the department's costs do not appear in the national budget, according to the newspaper.

The offices would be located near the Constitutional Court and would have 100 parking bays.

"The office of the chief justice was promulgated as a national department by the president in September 2010, and subsequently, a memorandum of understanding between the new department that is the office of the chief justice was signed back in January 2012," said Lulama Luti, spokesperson for the department.

"Essentially, the office of the chief justice has been set up to provide institutional independence of the judiciary and to render support to the chief justice in executing administrative and judicial powers and duties as head of the judiciary and head of the Constitutional Court," Luti was quoted by The Star as saying.

The department of public works did not respond to queries from the newspaper by late Tuesday night.

Staff included an executive relations and ceremonial management specialist, a parliamentary liaison co-ordinator, and a head of court systems.

Nine positions were advertised earlier this year, with the secretary general's salary being R1.4-R1.6m a year, and four deputy head positions, and a Constitutional Court manager being between R716 000 and R856 000.

Mogoeng would retain his offices at the Constitutional Court, apart from the new department, the newspaper reported.

- SAPA