At a time when the government is striving to professionalise the public service, six ministers tried to get their “comrades and chommies” who don’t have the required qualifications appointed in their departments.
Public Works and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi had to put his foot down and declined their requests for deviation in order to effect those appointments.
Buthelezi stunned his colleagues when he reminded them of the directive on human resource management and development on public service professionalisation that came into effect on April 1 this year, which explicitly states that all new government employees must have all the required qualifications for their positions as deviation would no longer be allowed.
ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe, the minister of minerals and petroleum resources, was among the ministers who tried their luck with Buthelezi. He attempted to appoint his “comrade” Charles Makola as his chief of staff.
Makola is a former deputy provincial ANC chairman in Mpumalanga. Mantashe spokesperson Nathi Shabangu confirmed. The requirements for one to be appointed as a chief of staff are a bachelor’s degree or an advanced diploma, and experience.
DA leader and minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen also made a request for a deviation to appoint four people to his office. These included Annette Steyn, former MP and DA shadow minister of agriculture, whose highest qualification is a matric, whom he wanted to appoint as his special adviser, but she doesn’t have the required qualifications.
Steenhuisen also wanted Una Christians appointed as his private and appointment secretary. Christians has been Steenhuisen’s personal assistant since 2019, but “her highest qualification is a national certificate in accounting”. Steenhuisen cited Christians’ “extensive experience as a personal assistant for over 10 years” as his motivation for the deviation to Buthelezi.
Steenhuisen also wanted his spokesperson, Charity McCord, who has just a matric, appointed as a media liaison officer.
In his motivation to Buthelezi, Steenhuisen said McCord “occupied the position of news
producer and presenter at the SABC International during the period of 2009 to 2010.”
Steenhuisen’s most qualified candidate was Mynhardt Kruger, whom he wanted to be his parliamentary liaison officer, but the deviation request was turned down because even though Kruger has a master’s degree from North Wales management school and a BA postgraduate degree, he doesn’t have the necessary experience.
Late minister Pravin Gordhan’s former chief of staff, Nthabiseng Borotho, whom he appointed after asking for a deviation, was appointed as a chief of staff by transport minister Barbara Creecy. Borotho has now a one-year diploma in public management from Regenesys.
Public service and administration spokesperson, Mpusha Mushi, told Sunday World that Creecy did not even apply for a deviation from the department when she appointed Borotho.
Transport department spokesperson Collen Msibi said Borotho obtained a 15-month diploma in public administration from Regenesys as well as a one-year postgraduate diploma in public management from the same
institution.
“It is important to mention that her national diploma is NQF level 7,” Msibi said.
Water and sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina has made a request for a deviation to appoint Zweli Mnisi as her media liaison officer, and no decision has been made so far. Mnisi holds a national diploma in journalism and a postgraduate diploma in government communication and marketing.
Other ministers who applied for a deviation include Patricia de Lille, the minister of tourism, and Kgosientso Ramokgopa, the minister of electricity and
energy. The requests from defence minister Angie Motshekga and public works and infrastructure minister Dean McPherson are still pending.
Mushi said three ministers also requested a deviation, and they are under assessment.
A senior government official, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his satisfaction with Buthelezi’s effective implementation of the new directive, which has stopped senior politicians from using government departments as their personal employment agencies.
“Incompetent and unqualified people have been appointed in government because they are comrades and chommies of certain politicians. Now people are going to be appointed on merit and not because they are comrades and chommies of politicians,” the official said.
