After criticising the ANC and even taking them to court over its apparent policy to deploy cadres to government, the DA has seemingly made an about turn and are now pushing to deploy unqualified people in government departments they have control.
This was glaringly evident when its leader, John Steenhuisen, the Minister of Agriculture had himself sought to circumvent the very standards meant to ensure professional and qualified leadership in public service.
This revelation came in response to a parliamentary question posed by Rise Mzansi's Makashule Gana, who sought clarity on ministers asking to bypass the Public Service Act to fill key positions.
Steenhuisen, whose party took the ANC to court over cadre deployment, made four attempts to appoint unqualified people to his department - all of which were denied, according to the parliamentary reply.
The Act states that senior management roles require at least a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 7 qualification and five years of experience.
Despite this, Steenhuisen attempted four times to install candidates who fell short of these criteria in an attempt to get them into the Government of National Unity.
Steenhuisen, along with Ministers Pemmy Majodina and Gwede Mantashe, had requested deviations from the Public Service Act to appoint candidates who do not meet the minimum qualifications for senior roles—requests that have been rejected by Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi.
In his parliamentary questions, Gana asked Buthelezi about ministers who sought deviations from the Public Service Act, Act 103 of 1994, to appoint candidates without the minimum requirements for specific jobs since July 2024.
In response, Buthelezi disclosed that Steenhuisen, the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA); Pemmy Majodina, the Minister of Water and Sanitation; and Gwede Mantashe, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, had made such requests.
Buthelezi explained that, under Clause 1.14 of the Act, senior management service positions, including chief directors and directors, require a qualification of NQF Level 7 and a minimum of five years of experience.
Steenhuisen submitted four requests, Mantashe made two, and Majodina made one for deviations from the prescribed qualifications for their respective departments. Buthelezi said three of Steenhuisen’s requests were rejected for not meeting the minimum qualifications, while one was declined due to insufficient years of experience.
Both Majodina and Mantashe’s requests for deviations were also turned down for failing to meet the required qualifications.
Reacting to Buthelezi’s decision, Gana welcomed the rejection, calling it a positive step towards professionalising the public sector.
“This sends a clear signal to unemployed graduates and qualified professionals that they matter. We urge more professionals to lend their skills to the public sector, so we can build a safe, prosperous, equal, and united South Africa,” Gana said.
In August, Statistics South Africa announced that the official unemployment rate had risen to 33.5% in the second quarter of 2024, up from 32.9% in the first quarter, with over 92,000 jobs lost in recent months.
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) from Stats SA showed that the number of unemployed individuals increased by 158,000, reaching 8.4 million, the highest figure since comparable records began in 2008.
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