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CAPE TOWN - Parliament is looking for a new head of security and CFO and is hoping to fill the two positions that have been vacant for years.

The Legislature advertised the two positions on Sunday alongside that of a sergeantat-arms, which has been vacant since December 2019, when Regina Mohlomi retired.

Parliament has been without a permanent head of security since July 2015 when Zelda Holtzman was put on suspension. She was later dismissed in October 2017 after being found guilty of insubordination.

After her departure, the security division was downgraded into a unit under Institutional Support Services, alongside household and catering and without an independent head.

Opposition MPs have previously blamed the head of security vacancy and the resulting lack of accountability for some of the security lapses over the years, including the breach that led to the devastating fire in January.

For R2.1 million a year, the new chief of security will be responsible for leadership and management of the security management division of Parliament, assisting the secretary to Parliament (STP) to manage the overall security strategy.

Two months ago, newly appointed STP Xolile George told the joint standing committee on financial management of parliament he was prioritising the filling of the head of security and CFO positions.

He later told Sunday Times he had found that the two positions had been ‘juniorised’ and that he had to review the scope of the two roles before he could pitch them to the market.