Administration

Acting appointment: Secretary of the Legislature.
Substantive position: Deputy Secretary.

Secretary responsibilities

The Secretary of the Legislature is responsible for overseeing and managing systems of the Legislature to realise objectives as set out by the Rules and Orders committee. The administration of the FSL revolves around key measurable objectives, namely legislation, oversight and public participation and education. The administration is therefore charged with ensuring that proper administration and financial management is provided, that facilities to Members and political parties are in place and to ensure impeccable parliamentary services are provided which is Legal and Procedural services. 

In essence, the administration of the Legislature complements decision making process by the Presiding Officers. 

Deputy Secretary responsibilities

The office of the deputy Secretary is responsible for overseeing the management and operations. It is also responsible for the compilation of procedural papers and documentation and provides advise to the Speaker during sittings of the House.  

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the effective financial management of the Legislature, including the exercise of sound budgeting and budgetary control practices, the operation of internal controls and the timely production of financial reports, by ensuring compliance with financial norms and standards determined as provided for in the Financial Management of Parliament and Legislatures Act, 2009, and with generally recognised accounting practice. 

The Finance Management Office consists of the following two sections:  

• Finance Management Section 

• Supply Chain Management Section 

Provide strategic financial services to the entire Legislature’s core functions divided into financial Programmes in support of achieving the FSL strategic outcome-oriented goals and objectives of the institution.  

The services provided by the Supply Chain Management include: 

• Facilitate the budget and financial management strategies, policies and processes on behalf of the Legislature; 

• Facilitate the supply chain management processes, asset management and loss control services in accordance with the institution’s policies and legislative requirements; 

• Ensure accurate and appropriate reporting to oversight structures, both internal and external stakeholders; 

• Provide integrated banking and cash management system to ensure adequate resource utilisation and revenue management and. 

• Continuously review and update governance documents to ensure that potential risks are adequately mitigated. 

Director: Mr. Molelekwa Marumo 

Supply Chain Management is responsible for maintain database and supplier compliance, maintaining effective warehouse management and accounts management and improve compliance in procurement transactions. 

The services provided by the Supply Chain Management include: 

• Demand Management; 

• Acquisition Management; 

• Disposal Management; 

• Logistics Management; 

• Risk Management; 

• SCM Performance Management; 

• Contract dispute management; and 

• Inventory management. 

Director: Mr. Chabana Chabana (Acting)

Director: Mr. Maroele Seruoe

The Strategic Unit of the Free State Legislature is responsible for providing strategic support to management and the executive authority, by providing: 

• Strategic planning and strategic advisory services 

• Facilitation of strategic and governance processes 

• Publication of governance documents 

• Monitoring and evaluation of strategy implementation 

Director: Ms. C. Sefo  

Legal services assist the Speaker, the secretary and the FSL with the following services in giving effect to the FSL strategic object of rendering and providing effective and efficient legal service.  

The services provided by the Legal Services include: 

• Provision of legal opinions; 

• Instituting and defending of legal actions for the FSL and against the FSL ; 

• Assist in drafting in drafting of legally binding contracts for the FSL; 

• Assist in interpreting legislation for the FSL; 

• Assist in monitoring of compliance legally. 

Director: Mr. B Sigasa (Acting) 

The Human Resources Management is responsible for managing the Legislature’s human capital by implementing employee engagement strategies, developing employee surveys, and implementing best practices. It also provides support to Members of the Legislature so that they may efficiently fulfil their constitutional functions. 

Key functions of the Human Resources Include: 

• Employee Health and Wellness 

• Employee Performance Management 

• Personnel Management 

• Labour Relations 

• Employment Equity 

• Employee Skills Development 

• Job Evaluation 

• Employment and Vacancies 

Director: Ms. Mampho Tsabalira (Acting)

The Institutional Support Services is responsible to optimise facilities’ usage and provide adequate and appropriate functional space in Legislature by creating a conducive working environment. ISS is also responsible for ensuring an effective and efficient productive support service that delivers enhanced support to Members of the Legislature to equip them to fulfil their constitutional functions 

Key functions of ISS include: 

• Household 

• Fleet and Office Maintenance 

• Members Support 

• Information and Communication Technology 

• Information Security Management 

Director: Mr. S. Sikisi (Acting)

The Public Participation and Education Department is responsible for carrying out the legislature’s tagline as a ‘Champion of Democracy’. This means implementation and encouraging public participation as a framework, which prioritizes public involvement of communities and stakeholders in local government concerns. 

Key functions that are provided by Public Participation and Education unit include: 

• Mobilization of the public in all 5 districts in the Free State to attend House sittings; 

• provide equal access to opportunities to participate through receiving petitions; 

• To facilitate public involvement in their legislative and other processes; and 

• Conduct business in an open manner. 

The Free State Legislature Communications and Marketing Services is responsible to market and publicise the business of the Legislature and to increase public involvement, by developing and implementing a comprehensive communications strategy. 

To improve the relationship with stakeholders by developing and implementing a stakeholder relations and engagement plan, in line with the Legislature’s Five Year Strategy and the Legislative Sector’s Communications Framework. 

 The FSL Communications and Marketing Services is structured to deliver the following services: 

• Multimedia production Services 

• Website Publishing 

• Photography Services 

• Broadcasting Services 

• Information & Content Development Unit 

• Media Liaison 

• Internal Communication 

• Public Relations 

• Graphic Design 

• Social Media Services 

• Publications 

• Content Development 

Editor: Mr. T. Lenka (Acting) 

The Hansard unit is responsible for providing translation of languages as a form of official verbatim report of all house proceedings which take place inside the parliamentary or legislative Chamber. 

The services provided by the Hansard unit include: 

• Recording of physical and virtual House proceedings, Committee Meetings and Public Hearings; 

• Reporting (Transcribing) of proceedings of House Sittings and other Committee meetings, that is SCOPA (Standing Committee on Public Accounts as well as Portfolio committees) and Rules Committee; 

• Translation of documents that relate to FSL business into English, Afrikaans, Sesotho or IsiXhosa as the need dictates; 

• Interpretation Simultaneous interpreting services is provided in the Chamber during house proceedings, and Consecutive interpreting at the Public Hearings; 

• Simultaneous (Conferencing) Interpreting – is when an interpreter translates the message from the source to the target language in real time with an immediate, high-quality translation of the speaker`s address; and 

• Consecutive Interpreting when the natural flow of the speaker is not disturbed and allows for a smooth output for the listeners.