Anger at Joburg’s ‘anti-cadre’ policy
LAW: CANDIDATES MUST REVEAL PARTY POSITION
In Cogta regulations and applicable to all municipalities, says spokesperson.
The DA-run administration in the City of Johannesburg has come out strongly defending its job policy, in which candidates for top-level jobs must state if they have a position in a political party.
Since the uproar over the policy this week, mayor Herman Mashaba’s spokesperson, Tony Taverna-Turison, has said the policy is not “new” as reported by media.
It was in place under the Municipal Systems Act since 2014 by previous mayor Parks Tau of the ANC, and is applicable to all municipalities, he said.
The cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) department further confirmed this to The Citizen.
Reports yesterday indicated there was a “row over Joburg’s anti-cadre job policy” compelling applicants to disclose their political positions.
But Taverna-Turison said there was sound principle behind the policy and blamed the backlash on “cheap politicking”.
He accused those, including the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and the ANC in Gauteng, who took issue with the policy, of “having amnesia”.
“The specific question on job applications only applies to level one and two positions in the City of Joburg – that is your city manager and your senior managers in the city that report directly to the city manager.
“This policy ensures that we eliminate cadre deployment in the higher offices of the city. Now this question emanated directly from Cogta regulations which prescribe that we need to ask these questions.
“That, in addition, comes from Section 56a from the Municipal Systems Act. This was part of a contentious court case.”
Cogta spokesperson Legadima Leso said: “The Act is applicable to all municipalities in the country”.
The application form on which the question is asked was created under previous ANC administration under Tau.
“We need to ensure senior management is filled by professionals appointed for their professional qualifications and competencies, rather than their loyalty to any political party.
“We need to ensure we protect the separation of party and state.” –