The City of Cape Town head-hunted a young black woman, at only 30, a relatively young age for the post, to fill an affirmative action quota. They offered her a salary above that which the post grade was entitled to. She lacked statutory registration, a requirement of the professional post, but was appointed on condition she would qualify.
Five years later (2014) she had not obtained registration. Qualified white employees were overlooked for the job.
Employment equity law compels employers to fill quotas, but frequently blacks lack the required education and experience. When they fail, other staff must pick up the slack. Because they are in demand, they tend to job hop, attracting above average salaries along the way, leaving their former employers at a disadvantage. If qualified black candidates cannot be found, it’s commonplace, especially among government departments – private companies are not excluded, though - to leave posts unfilled rather than appointing candidates ofother races.
There are frequent reports of ANC cadres being appointed despite lacking educational, experiential or ethical qualities for the job. The president’s daughter, 25 years old and with little experience, was appointed to an executive post in the Department of Communications at a salary of R1 million a year. The chief executive of the social security agency intervened to appoint a friend who only had a post-matric certificate to a senior post at R1 million salary.
Tim Harris, previously the DA's shadow economic minister, was also appointed chief executive of Wesgro.
A contractor to electric utility Eskom imported foreign Africans and trained them to work on Eskom’s new power stations under construction. They claimed this was because of the shortage of local artisans. A similar situation occurred during construction for the World Cup 2010. Why were locals not trained or underemployed artisans employed?
South Africa’s auditor-general allegedly went to India to fill their Indian quota for accountants and auditors. Why did they not appoint local whites, browns and blacks to the vacancies?
Government and black business bodies frequently complain white companies are not transforming fast enough, with too few women and blacks in management posts. They ignore the fact that generally white men have the required education and experience.
To be an effective manager and executive, it’s essential to have a degree, as graduates acquire critical thinking skills. It takes five years post-graduate experience to be a competent manager and ten years or more to be a director. Too few blacks, even after, or because of, twenty years of mediocre post-1994 education, have the appropriate background.
In the years immediately after 1994 the ANC undertook large-scale retrenchment and replacement of white government workers and appointed blacks in their place. The South African Institute of Race Relations reports just under 70% of managers in the public service are black. People at this level are drawn from the 35 to 60 year old age cohort. However, less than 20% of this cohort has university degrees. In other words, about 50% of black managers in government posts have only school leaving or lower qualifications.
Government acknowledges the poor skills base in government, which is responsible for the failing service. They suggested a civil service training programme rather than doing the right thing and firing underperforming workers or even better, not employing them in the first place.
However, the poor skills levels in government are not due to the shortage in the country, but an irrational implementation of policy that is harming service delivery.
Updated 30 April 2016.
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