The government is totally committed to the professionalisation of the public service, but does not regard the ANC’s cadre deployment programme as relevant to this end, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
He was responding to a question in Parliament from the DA on whether ‘he will commit to fully implement the National Framework towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector and its policy directives that was approved by Cabinet on 19 October 2022 in order to do away with cadre deployment?’
The President responded that he had committed to the framework during the State of the Nation Address. He noted that it was intended to ‘ensure that only ethical, qualified and competent individuals are appointed into positions of authority.’ It would establish clear requirements for holding positions and managing performance, and would facilitate ongoing learning to continuously expand the skills over which the service disposes.
‘The Framework will help to do away with undue interference, the violation of public procurement rules or the favouring of certain private sector interests, as happened during the era of state capture,’ he said.
Ramaphosa went on to say that cadre deployment was ‘not a policy of this government’. He likened it to the ‘DA’s practice of vetting candidates for employment in DA-led municipalities’, and said that ‘we are clear that the merit principle must apply in public sector appointments, based on legislated prescripts and in line with the minimum competency standards.’
He added: ‘We are taking steps to professionalise the public service across all spheres of government, to ensure the right people are in the right positions, that they are held accountable, and that they are empowered to provide the best possible service to the people of South Africa.’
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