To keep on choosing top officials not equipped for the job is costing us dearly
THERE are some news items that recur so regularly that those of us in the business should just have templates ready for publications. For example, we could have a ready poster reading “Petrol Price Goes XXX” with the XXX being changed every few months to “Up” or “Down”. It is almost inevitable that such a story will be in the news again in a few weeks.
Another template we should have is “XXX: State admits fumble”. The “XXX” in this instance would be replaced by the name of the latest person appointed to a top state position, who is now deemed to be unsuitable for the job he or she was recruited for.
As matters stand, the “XXX” would be replaced by Riah Phiyega – the current national police commissioner.
Nobody should be surprised. Phiyega has been in the firing line since it was announced she was replacing Bheki Cele as the country’s top cop.
Earlier this year, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko started openly questioning her suitability for the job.
Nhleko echoed what others critical of her appointment had already said: her lack of policing experience would be an obstacle to her carrying out her duties as well as she could. This was an obvious flaw.
Phiyega never claimed to know a lot about policing. Her employers knew what they were getting her and themselves into.
They did not need a commission of inquiry, let alone for President Jacob Zuma to apply his mind for two minutes to know that her fitness for the job would be suspect.
Alas, here we are again. More of the taxpayer’s money will be deployed to prove what was never in dispute.
Given what we know of the police minister’s opinion about the national police commissioner, one does not need to be Nostradamus to see that Phiyega’s days are numbered.
The state’s recruitment processes look like a recurring nightmare:
Phiyega. Zandile Tshabalala, at the SABC. National Prosecuting Authority heads Vusi Pikoli, Menzi Simelane and Mxolisi Nxasana. Phiyega’s predecessor Bheki Cele. Hawks boss Lieutenant-General Anwa Dramat. Eskom chief executive Tshediso Matona. State-owned oil and gas company PetroSA chairman and director Tshepo Kgadima. The list is not exhaustive. The jury is out on how long the current NPA head, Shaun Abra- hams, will last as National Director of Public Prosecutions and bookies can easily start taking bets on the reasons for his future, unplanned departure. The same goes for Eskom’s acting chief executive, Brian Molefe.
Except for a few notable exceptions, many on this list had thriving professional lives before accepting the poison chalice that seems to be a top public-sector job.
Many left in tears. Some of them with integrity and ability questioned unfairly.
One such exception to those who had a right to feel hard done by on the part of those who employed them would be Kgadima.
He was appointed despite already facing serious fraud allegations, including being accused by former cabinet minister and South Africa’s High Commissioner to Britain Zola Skweyiya that Kgadima had made off with his pension after he claimed his coal company controlled several mines when this was untrue.
Despite all this, the state has not seen fit to institute a commission that will establish at least two things: what process is used to make top public-sector appointments, how successful this is and what can be done to improve it.
Such a commission would also investigate what measures there are to hold those who make the appointments accountable for their decisions, especially when they start to cost the state money that should be going to more pressing needs.
The second reference point for the commission would be to establish why people who seem sane and intelligent take up jobs that they know they are ill-equipped for or lead to a political dead end.
Why was it so difficult for Phiyega and others like her to simply say, “no thanks”?
Could it be that the prospect of a golden handshake, if it all goes pearshaped, is so attractive a proposition that they are willing to ignore the flashing lights warning them about the danger ahead?
Everybody makes mistakes. People take up jobs (even careers) with one thing in mind, only for the real- ity to be very different. Employers also get it wrong.
Candidates sometimes present impressive CVs and are exceptional at the interview, only to prove themselves book-smart or big talkers unable to deliver when it matters.
If the state were a company with shareholders, serious questions would have been asked about the recruitment processes and someone’s head would have long rolled.
It is a dereliction of duty on the state’s part to keep making appointments that are so bad for the organisation’s credibility, continuity and the fiscus. It is unacceptable. For those recruited, they must not underrate the benefits of saying no. They can take Woody Allen’s word on this.
Said Allen: “I want to tell you a terrific story about oral contraception. I asked this girl to sleep with me and she said ‘no’.”
Could it be that the prospect of a golden handshake is so attractive they are willing to ignore flashing lights?