Joel Netshitenzhe (born in Sibasa, Venda) was head of the policy and coordination advisory unit in the presidency until the end of December 2009. He previously served as head of South Africa's Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS) from 1998 to 2006.As a key political strategist for South African President Thabo Mbeki, Netshitenzhe is considered on of the country's most powerful political players. As head of the GCIS, his role is effectively to head up the president's policy unit. Wikipedia