Question NW1073 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration
01 July 2021 - NW1073
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
With reference to the filling of vacant posts for the position of Director-General and/or Head of Department in the Public Service, what (a) is the total number of (i) national and (ii) provincial departments which were required to advertise for the specified posts more than once during the (aa) 2018-19, (bb) 2019-20 and (cc) 2020-21 financial years, (b) are the reasons that the specified departments were required to advertise for the posts more than once and (c) total amount was spent on re-advertising the posts for each of the implicated departments?
Reply:
(a) Based on information available to the DPSA (a)(i) Three Director General or Head of Component posts were re-advertised as follows:
(aa) CEO: Government Printing Works was re-advertised in June 2018.
(bb) Director-General: Department of Home Affairs was re-advertised in November 2019.
(cc) Director-General: Cooperative Governance was re-advertised was advertised in February 2020.
(a)(ii) Based on information available to the DPSA, state the number of HOD posts (i.e. three (3) Provincial HoD posts were re-advertised:
(aa)
(bb)
(cc)
(b) The reasons provided to the DPSA by the advertising Departments included that advertising requirements were not being met, including attaining the delegation of authority to fill the post from the President and allowing for a fair or adequate time to reply to an advert. It should be noted that in terms of section 3(7)(a) and (b) of the Public Service Act, 1994 the relevant executive authority of department has power and duties to manage the recruitment and appointment in his or her department which includes filling of a posts. The mandate of the DPSA as far as advertising is concerned, is limited to the publication of the vacancies and facilitation of the cabinet memorandum specifically for the Director-General and Deputy Director General posts.
(b) The DPSA issues the PSVC publication at no cost to the departments, any other costs related to the re-advertisement of such post in the media is managed by the relevant department.
End