Is ANC dishing out jobs to secure support ahead of the elections?
· Citizen
The Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure in Limpopo has branded claims that it is giving jobs to pals as pure politicking by opposition parties, three months before the upcoming local government elections.
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On Thursday, the EFF and ActionSA issued damning statements, condemning allegations that the ruling party, the ANC, and its deployees in government, Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure MEC Tonny Rachoene, are using state resources to garner support for ANC votes ahead of the upcoming November vote.
ActionSA MP Malebo Patricia Kobe accused MEC Rachoene’s recent recruitment drive for job opportunities at the entity of being a “jobs for comrades network”.
“ActionSA condemns the latest display of ANC patronage masquerading as public service in the Limpopo Department of Public Works and Infrastructure under MEC Tony Rachuene.
“Images and communications surrounding the issuing of appointment letters to newly appointed employees, alongside an official ANC message congratulating its ‘comrades’ on their appointments, raise deeply troubling questions about whether employment in the public service is being determined by merit or by political allegiance,” said Kobe.
Political nepotism
Kobe said the state does not belong to the ANC, nor should public employment be treated as a reward for party allegiance or loyalty.
“While government has presented the appointment of 140 workers as a step towards building a capable and ethical state, the accompanying political celebration tells an entirely different story and serves to undermine the concept of an ethical state,” she said.
“It creates the unmistakable impression that these appointments are being treated as patronage for ANC loyalists rather than the outcome of a fair, transparent and merit-based recruitment process.
“This kind of political nepotism is a matter that is generally experienced and loathed by South Africans, especially those trapped in the penury imposed by being unemployed.
Kobe added that at a time when millions of South Africans, particularly young graduates, remain unemployed, the public service cannot become a jobs programme for politically connected cadres.
“Every public sector appointment tainted by perceptions of political favouritism further erodes public confidence in the state and entrenches the very culture of cadre deployment that has hollowed out government institutions across South Africa.
“We call on the minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, to immediately institute an independent investigation into these appointments to determine whether every recruitment process complied fully with the constitution, the Public Service Act and all applicable recruitment policies.
“Should any irregularities be uncovered, the appointments must be halted and appropriate action taken against those responsible.”
Taking the issue to the Public Protector
The EFF also came guns blazing, vowing to approach the office of the Public Protector to urgently investigate appointments across all provincial departments. The party claimed the ANC continues to treat all government institutions as its own private employment agency.
EFF Limpopo provincial chair, Makgabo Lawrence Mapoulo, has alleged that the new recruits appointed by the department at Public Works are all ANC card-carrying branch members.
The chair said any practice of cadre deployment which places unqualified people in government positions weakens state institutions, undermines service delivery, and erodes public confidence in government.
Recently, DA MP Nico Pienaar slammed alleged wayward appointment and parading of the so-called “ANC comrades” to positions in the Sekhukhune district and Ephraim Mogale local municipalities.
Pienaar said cadre deployment was a major contributor to the collapse of state and municipal capacity in Limpopo. According to Pienaar, a DA Sekhukhune political head, the recent appointments in the municipality raised serious concerns about the integrity of municipal recruitment processes.
“The DA will formally demand access to the full recruitment and interview processes to establish whether due process was followed.
“We argue that cadre deployment is unconstitutional, undermines merit-based appointments, and prioritises political loyalty over competence and accountability.
“This practice has led to the collapse of municipalities, leaving communities without reliable water, safe roads, or functional infrastructure. The public celebration merely confirms what communities across Limpopo already know: government jobs are being reserved for ANC card-carrying members through blatant cadre deployment,” stated Pienaar.
He said his party will write to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, requesting urgent intervention to address the issue.
“As local government elections approach, the DA urges communities to put an end to cadre deployment, corruption, and service delivery failure. The DA stands ready to restore professionalism, transparency, and accountable local government,” said Pienaar.
Department responds
Pressed for comment, spokesperson for the Limpopo public works, roads and infrastructure department, Emmanuel Mongwe, said his department wouldn’t want to be dragged into the political parties’ claims because it is a public institution serving everyone.
“If the EFF issues a statement attacking the ANC or any other political party, it is therefore those political parties that should be given a right to reply. Where we are, we strongly believe that this is just cheap politicking,” he said.
He admitted that public administration and politics are two different matters.
“It is, however, important to indicate that the department has regulated human resource (HR) recruitment processes, guided by DPSA, which we always follow when appointing qualifying candidates.
“The department has Human Resources teams in districts, and it is at that level where all the selection processes are taking place.
“As the department, we are satisfied with the outcomes of all the recruitment processes that have led to us appointing over 730 permanent staff members within a period of two years to work at our 36 Cost-Centres based in all localities across the province.
“This is part of our dedicated efforts to strengthen the internal capacity of our department,” said Mongwe.