DA forestalls capture of the Public Service Commission
26 November 2019
In a dramatic victory in the ongoing battle against cadre deployment and capture, the Democratic Alliance (DA) can today confirm the stalling of the appointment of a disgraced ANC cadre to capture the Public Service Commission (PSC). During a sitting of the National Assembly, the ANC had hoped to rubber stamp the recommendation of Zanele Hlatshwayo to fill a vacancy on the PSC. However, it would seem as though the ANC themselves clearly had no palate for this appointment as their own MPs were a no show to this important vote resulting in Parliament not having a quorum to pass Hlatshwayo’s appointment.
The ANC had hoped to appoint Hlatshwayo despite the fact that she destroyed the Msunduzi municipality during her time as mayor between 2007 and 2010. She allegedly spent millions of Rands in taxpayer funds on her pet projects, including an extravagant trip to attend Barack Obama’s inauguration as president of the United States. After only three years, even the ANC had had enough and fired her. TheKwaZulu-Natal provincial government was forced to place Msunduzi under administration.
But it gets worse. Hlatshwayo was reportedly 33rd on the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal list to become a Member of Parliament. In her CV, she boasts about being an active national working committee member of SANCO. These facts immediately disqualify her, because the Constitution requires Public Service Commissioners to be “fit and proper” persons who will ensure that the PSC executes its duties in ways that are both “independent” and “impartial.” Nonetheless, during the interview process to fill the PSC vacancy, Hlatshwayo arrogantly said that “I will never stop being political.”
Fortunately, the DA’s unrelenting battle against this effort to capture the PSC ensured that Kevin Malunga, the current deputy Public Protector of the Republic who also applied for the PSC position, was formally listed as an alternate candidate to become PSC commissioner. Malunga submitted a distinguished CV to the subcommittee and had by far the best interview.
The DA thereby ensured that the door is kept open for President Cyril Ramaphosa to do the right thing. Following today’s victory, we will be writing to President Ramaphosa to request him to reject the proposed recommendation of cadre Zanele, and to instead appoint the highly-qualified alternate candidate, Kevin Malunga. The DA will not relent in our fight against cadre deployment and in favour of creating a professional public service, because it is the only way to root out corruption once and for all.
Issued by Leon Schreiber, DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration, 26 November 2019
