Question NW2024 to the Minister of Human Settlements

Reply:

Honourable Member, the appointment of Directors-General and the minimum requirements thereof are found in the EXECUTIVE PROTOCOL (the Protocol): PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF HEADS OF DEPARTMENT (HODs) AND DEPUTY DIRECTORS- GENERAL (DDGs). The purpose of the Protocol is to encourage good practice in the recruitment of Heads of Department (HoDs) and Deputy Directors-General (DDGs) nationally, thereby assisting Executive Authorities (EAs) in appointing high quality candidates.

I can assure the Honourable Member that when Cabinet appointed the Director-General of Human Settlements, it adhered to this Protocol, which I was responsible for tabling before Cabinet when I served in the Public Service and Administration portfolio. The Director-General is more than qualified for his post.

In summary, the protocol stipulates that:

“An advertisement should not favour or prejudice any prospective candidate who has the necessary training, skills, competence and/or knowledge relevant to the requirements of the post. Advertisements should therefore be supportive of and in compliance with the Constitution, the Labour Relations Act, the Public Service Act and the PSR. Qualifications should not be defined primarily or solely in terms of educational attainment, but should include skills, relevant experience and other criteria. Educational qualification requirements, including qualifications obtained through the Recognition of Prior Learning process and linked to the National Qualification Framework, should as per the post advertisement reflect the minimum qualification requirements determined during job evaluation. Such qualification requirements should be specific to the post. An applicant with a lower qualification cannot be shortlisted for the post”.

In respect of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the National Treasury continues to ensure that CFO’s possess formal qualifications comprising relevant subjects such as Financial Accounting (for the timely production of accurate and complete financial information), Management Accounting (for sound budgeting and expenditure monitoring practices), Internal Audit (for the operation of sound internal controls) and Supply Chain Management (for the efficient procurement of goods, works and/or services)”. Again, I wish to indicate that my Chief Financial Officer possess formal qualifications that include all these subjects.

Honourable Member, this goes to show that although we are cognisant that the black communities of this country were deliberately denied the same education as their white counterparts had, we are committed to ensure that we employ competent civil servants in the public service. I wish to confirm that Director-General and the Chief Financial officer of my Department have Master’s Degree in fields relevant to their work.