LETTER: Cadre deployment difficult to prove
It is hard to reverse an appointment when a deployee’s incompetence emerges
As much as cadre deployment is unfair and even illegal, it is difficult to prove. Many of us seasoned public servants know this.
Remember, normal advertising of vacant posts takes place, but the chair and panel members are all comrades, and they simply give their favourites higher scores. The favoured comrade appears to have outperformed truly competent interviewees.
Occupying the post the deployee’s incompetence emerges, but in the public service an MEC, minister or head of department cannot reverse an appointment without sound reason. It is only the labour court that can do so, but it is rare for the courts to interfere in the internal affairs of employers.
We observed this with the SABC matter during 2021. If the public or non-Cosatu unions complain too loudly the deployee is merely deployed elsewhere.
Johan Smith
Via email
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