Vice President David Mabuza on November 10, 2022 in Cape Town.
Gallo Images/Brenton Geach
- Vice President David Mabuza said that extending the terms of CEOs would improve political certainty and strategic stability.
- He told Parliament that the ANC’s position on the deployment of cadres was not government policy.
- He said that while the government tried to ensure representation in the public service, it made appointments based on merit.
- For more financial stories, go to News24 Business Cover.
Vice President David Mabuza said doubling the tenure of directors general (DGs), as the government seeks to professionalize the public service, would bring strategic and political stability to state departments.
Mabuza was orally responding to questions in Parliament on Thursday afternoon. EFF deputy Floyd Shivambu asked Mabuza if the National Public Sector Professionalization Framework amounted to abolishing the deployment of cadres in government.
The national framework on the professionalisation of the public sector was published earlier this month, but experts argued that it is at odds with the ANC’s position on the deployment of cadres.
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Mabuza said the ruling ANC’s position on the deployment of cadres should not be confused with the government’s policy on senior management appointments.
He added that the government was implementing several interventions to improve the state of the public sector. He said longer terms for CEOs would stabilize strategy and politics in government departments.
“The framework is now going to be implemented. But the first thing we have done is to extend the mandate of all the DGs. First of all, the mandate was five years and we have extended it to 10 years.
“The simple reason is that when a DG is appointed, the first year, he or she is getting to know the environment, the second year, they are starting to implement, but by the third year, they must be looking for spaces elsewhere because he or she she is aware that he or she is at the exit,” Mabuza said.
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Mabuza said there was a general consensus that the government should strengthen skills and capacities in public service at all levels. He said that while the government wanted to ensure fair representation in the public sector, appointments were made on merit.
“While the need for demographic representation is recognised, there is also an emphasis on meritocracy. In this regard, entry requirements will be more stringent under this framework and will be based on rigorous assessments and evaluations leading to middle and senior management appointments based on merit,” Mabuza said. he said she.
He said that even though the Cabinet appoints the directors-general, the recruitment and selection was done in accordance with strict public service and administration rules and procedures. Mabuza said CEOs are also still subject to evaluation and their political principles can take action if they underperform.
