'ANC to introduce qualifications criteria for cadre deployments'

The ANC Lekgotla has said that there should be a qualifications criteria for cadre deployment policy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement in his closing remarks to the party two day NEC lekgotla on Monday.

Ramaphosa said there was a unanimous decision that there should be a qualifications criteria for their comrades who are appointed into positions in the government.

“The ANC will become more stringent in the selection process of all public representatives including setting qualification criteria for comrades who should be put on ANC lists,” Ramaphosa said.

This is in line with Ramaphosa’s decision to prioritise what he called building a capable state.

He said that the Lekgotla agreed that they also need to have a strategy on monitoring performance.

“The ANC commits to consistent monitoring of performance of all our public representatives and that we will apply urgent remedial steps and consequent management for poor performance, for ill-discipline as well for mismanagement and indeed for corruption as well,” Ramaphosa said.

In his weekly letter to the nation yesterday, Ramaphosa echoed the same sentiments saying that his plans for a capable state are hampered by weak implementation, poor coordination among departments and lack of effective oversight which are as a result of appointing to positions people who do not qualify.

“A capable state starts with the people who work in it. Officials and managers must possess the right financial and technical skills and other expertise,” he said.

“We are committed to end the practice of poorly qualified individuals being parachuted into positions of authority through political patronage. There should be consequences for all those in the public service who do not do their work.”

He said that civil servants would also receive ongoing skills training through the National School of Government.

According to Ramaphosa a capable state ensure that struggling state-owned enterprises such as Eskom and SAA fulfil their mandates.

“State companies that cannot deliver services – such as Eskom during load-shedding – or that require continual bailouts – such as SAA – diminish the capacity of the state.

“That is why a major focus of our work this year is to restore our SOEs to health. We will do this by appointing experienced and qualified boards and managers. We will be clarifying their mandates, and give them scope to execute those mandates,” Ramaphosa wrote in his newsletter.