EFF slams drive as jobs for cadres via back door
THE GAUTENG provincial government is in the process of filling about 8 000 funded vacancies through the “Nasi Ispani” programme that exists across various provincial departments.
On Youth Day, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced the start of the application process for the previously declared thousands of vacancies across the Gauteng provincial departments.
Young people in the province queued to submit job applications and some grew impatient while waiting for Lesufi to arrive. According to the EFF, this staffing process is important for the capacity of departments so they can effectively execute their mandate.
The party’s provincial chairperson, CMSR Nkululeko Dunga, said the EFF had long been calling for this to take place, as these vacancies had existed and accumulated for many years.
“However, the ANC government has seized the opportunity and is using these jobs for political electioneering by presenting them as their party programmes. By advertising these government jobs through and as ANC programmes, Premier Panyaza Lesufi has muddied the recruitment process, brought confusion and blurred the dividing line between government and party functions.
“We call for the establishment of an independent body to monitor the human resources process for the filling of the vacancies advertised by the Gauteng provincial government.”
Dunga added that as the 2024 general elections drew nearer, the ANC could not conceal its desperation.
He said: “The abuse of the Extended Public Works Programmes through the back door hiring of ANC card-carrying members as crime-prevention wardens and a cleaning and greening army, while denying the rest of the people of Gauteng a fair application process, bears evidence to this fact.”
The Star contacted the Gauteng government for comment, and spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga said he would respond by 5pm yesterday but had not done so by the time of publication.