Minister appoints new USAASA chairman

By Damaria Senne for USAASA
Johannesburg, 04 Dec 2006

Cassandra Gabriel, founder of Cassandra Gabriel Consulting, a division of JKT Investments, has been appointed as chairman of the board of the Universal Services and Access Agency of SA (USAASA).

Gabriel's appointment by communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, which was effective from 1 December, follows the end of former USAASA chairman Chose Choeu's term.

Gabriel has strategic management experience at an executive level in government, as well as the telecommunications and defence industries, says the Department of Communications.

Before founding Cassandra Gabriel Consulting, she worked for Denel as chief of staff in the office of the CEO. She was also a director on the board of SA's Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industry Body.

Gabriel has also worked as media officer for the African National Congress in the Natal Midlands, and as spokesman for minister Pallo Jordan during his tenure as minister of environmental affairs and tourism.

She has also worked for Telkom's government relations department and later regulatory and public policy divisions.

Gabriel was seconded twice to the communications department - firstly to support then minister Jay Naidoo during Africa Telecom 98, and later to support former director-general Andile Ngcaba with the policy preparations for the initial public offering of Telkom and the appointment of advisors for the introduction of the second national operator.