Question NW3062 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration
10 October 2023 - NW3062
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
With reference to adopting the Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector, what measures has her department put in place to root out the practice of cadre deployment in provincial and national departments?
Reply:
Per the Public Service Act (PSA) of 1994, the Public Service operates under a merit-based recruitment and selection system, rendering cadre deployment non-applicable in filling vacancies. The MPSA has devised a three-tiered strategy for ensuring equitable, fair, and transparent appointments. Firstly, the PSA grants an executive authority the latitude to make appointments within national and provincial departments, contingent upon compliance with Sections 9 and 11(2) concerning merit-based recruitment. Secondly, Sections 65 and 67 of the Public Service Regulations, 2016, provide further specification and governance for such appointments. Lastly, the Executive Protocol unambiguously outlines the rules for appointing Heads of Departments and Deputy Director-Generals. Strict compliance with these three strategic elements is obligatory for all National and Provincial Departments, thus precluding any form of cadre deployment.
End