The ‘duh!’ moment - 4 February 2014

Jessica to the rescue.

‘Best to go straight to the DGs for this kind of info,’ she fires back by email, when I mutter something about my shaky start.

DGs are a bit like the CEOs of companies - they head things up, they know what’s happening. Even though they’re political appointees, they still have the technical know-how of the workings of the beast.

The oracle (Google), delivers:

• Trevor Balzer is the acting DG at Water Affairs (012 336 8744; balzert@dwa.gov.za) (I remember people complaining about how many departments ended up with nearly permanent ‘acting DGs’ because full time people weren’t being appointed);
• Nosipho Ngcaba is the DG at Environmental Affairs (086 111 2468 or 012 310 391; dg@environment.gov.za);
• Dr. Thibedi Ramontja’s the DG at Mineral Resources (the website only gives a landline number, 012 444 3000, so I call and get given the contact details for his PA, Nwabisa, nwabisa.qwanyashe@dmr.gov.za, and an admin person, Tshepo, tshepo.motsuenyane@dmr.gov.za).