ANC Study Group on Agriculture concerned by reports of Minister Steenhuisen’s jobs for pals scheme

2 September 2024

The Whip of the ANC Study Group on Agriculture, Honourable Sharon Davids, has noted with concern, reports by News24 that Honourable John Steenhuisen, the DA leader and Minister of Agriculture, has made a request for a deviation to the Minister of Public Service and Administration to appoint unqualified people into his office. This report comes shortly after the Daily Maverick reported that the Minister has appointed a controversial individual as Chief of Staff in his Ministry, who has a history of spewing racial bile, often referring to black people as 'Bantus' in several of his social media posts.

This act by the Minister of recommending people without qualifications and relevant experience reeks of hypocrisy given that prior to being in Government, both he and his party's vehemently stated their opposition to cadre deployment and what they termed "Jobs-for-Pals".

He has sought to further bypass the Public Administration Act and the Framework for the Professionalisation of the Public Service, by appointing three matriculants to occupy senior, strategic, and highly remunerative government positions.

The ANC would like to remind the Minister that his party, the Democratic Alliance, has fully supported the Professionalisation Framework which sets out clear recommendations for whom should be employed into middle and senior management positions in the public service.

The deliberate deviation from the Public Administration Act to favor personal acquaintances above qualified candidates is ethically and morally indefensible and represents a gross misuse of power, betrayal of the public's trust and is antithetical to the values of transparency, accountability, and equal opportunity that are essential for the effective functioning of our government.

The ANC views such flagrant disregard for established public service regulations as a classic case of the DA's exceptionalism but also compromises the very foundation of a capable and meritocratic state, which undermines the work being done to ensure our public service is the bastion of integrity and competence.

We are urge the Minister to respect the provisions of the rules and regulations governing the appointment of staff into political offices and to distance himself from the inflammatory racial remarks made by his new Chief of Staff.

Issued by Sharon Davids on behalf of ANC Study Group of Agriculture, 2 September 2024