Time to Appoint ‘Fit for Purpose’ Officials — DA

by Cllr Lorna Beharie — DA Member of Corporate and Shared Services

Date: 2 August 2021

Release: Immediate

Type: Media Statement

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni has long been calling for ‘fit for purpose’ over ANC cadre deployment in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE), as it is critical for the city to appoint candidates, who, will have a direct impact on our ability to serve the community and work to improve residents’ lives.

We can no longer merely adhere to the Acts and Laws in advertising the positions, we need to move away from appointing the politically connected and ‘jobs for pals’, but rather strive to appoint the best candidate for the job.

Whenever items concerning the selection panels for the interview processes are tabled in council, opposition parties, and the DA, in particular, offer our expertise and willingness to be a part of the selection panel. However, we are never included in this vitally important process of selecting the best candidate for the job. Instead, the selection panel represents nothing but the guardian angels of ANC cadre deployment policy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that he is committed to ending the practice of poorly qualified individuals placed into positions of authority due to their political patronage. It is time for the ANC and its coalition partners to heed the President’s call and stop hiring and promoting individuals into key posts, in which they are not suitable, nor qualified. This could be achieved, by allowing the DA to be part of the selection panel process.

Cadre deployment robs the public service of desperately needed skills because it locks out highly skilled professionals who are not members of the ANC from key positions. Unlike under the ANC, where the DA governs, we have always been proudly committed to appointing officials based on merit rather than politics. There is no cadre deployment policy or committee in the DA.

The DA unashamedly puts the interests of residents first, this is the exact reason why, the DA is calling for an inclusive selection panel that has the mandate of service delivery at its core, rather than political favours.

Residents, communities and businesses continue to suffer poor levels of service delivery, while politically connected members of the governing ANC and its coalition partners occupy critical posts, but fail to deliver.

We are determined to do more to find ways of bringing good governance to the people of Ekurhuleni, by ensuring capable, qualified officials to improve service delivery.

#Time4Change

*ANC Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)

Cllr Lorna Beharie

DA Member of Corporate and Shared Services in Ekurhuleni