President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a new draft policy framework that will guide future recruitment in public service, a sector marred by cadre deployment.
Ramaphosa admits to existence of cadre deployment
In his weekly mailers, Ramaphosa dove deeper into the National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service, a policy document that — in his own words — will “give greater impetus to our efforts to bolster, strengthen and capacitate the civil service.”
In no uncertain terms, the president conceded to the existence of political interference in public service appointments. For the most part, he said, key appointments in various government departments are not based on merit.
“Twenty-seven years into democracy, it can be said of the public service that while several pockets of excellence exist, we have serious challenges in many government departments with regards to skills, competence and professionalism,” he wrote.
The gradual decay of high-quality public service, according to the president, is the consequence of nepotism, political interference in the work of departments, lack of accountability, mismanagement and corruption.
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The DA’s John Steenhuisen, who proposed an anti-cadre deployment plan in his alternative SONA speech, will be more than happy to marry into the ANC in 2024, after reading these sentiments from the president.
What will this new policy document aim to achieve?
Alas, this new framework will seek to change the manner in which management positions in state departments are recruited. For one, the high turnover of director-generals and heads of departments is closely linked to Cabinet shuffles and that, to the president, is problematic.
“In some departments, DGs, HoDs and executive managers have had stability of tenure, enabling the departments to function with little disruption. In most of these departments where there is leadership stability, audit outcomes tend to be positive and public funds can be accounted for. Where there is a high turnover of heads of department, there is often administrative turmoil,” he said.
Moreover, professionalism policies ought to be implemented beyond management, he added. Occupation-based competency assessments and rigorous recruitment reforms will be implemented to ensure that “we can recruit civil servants who can serve honestly.”
These are some of the proposed reforms in the anti-cadre deployment policy framework:
- extending the tenure of Heads of Department based on merit and performance;
- involving the Public Service Commission in the interviews of Directors-General;
- introducing integrity tests for all shortlisted individuals;
- extend the compulsory entrance exams introduced in April 2020 beyond senior management;
- training for accounting officers across all spheres of government; and
- introducing appropriate standards of respect, courtesy and integrity in dealing with members of the public.
Currently, the draft framework has been published on the National School of Government’s website for public comment.
“The public service does not belong to any one party, nor should it be the domain of any particular interest group. It should not be a law unto itself. The public service belongs to the people of South Africa. It must serve them and them alone,” Ramaphosa concluded.
